What’s in a name? The Indo-Pacific is many things. It is a 21st-century map of the globally-central strategic system centred on maritime Asia. It is, quite literally, Australia’s place in the world. It may be a basis for a strategy of multipolarity and balancing to moderate the power of a rising China. And it is a region in which China’s interests and presence are growing.
In the interests of robust, scholarly and policy-relevant debate, Policy Forum has launched this section on the contested concept of the Indo-Pacific. We hope you find its contents of value, and invite contributions to the conversation.
Professor Rory Medcalf
Guest Editor, Indo-Pacific In Focus section
Podcast: Diving into the Indo-Pacific debate
Rapid Round-Up: Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper
Mapping our Indo-Pacific future: Rory Medcalf’s speech
Australia needs Indo-Pacific clarity | Denise Fisher
The Indo-Pacific is what you make of it| Andrew Phillips
Podcast: Putting the ‘Indo’ in Indo-Pacific | David Brewster
Economics and finance | Australia
While escalating trade tensions between the United States and China are causing problems, they may provide an opportunity for states of the Indo-Pacific to diversify their trade options, Amrita Jash writes.
7 minute read
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Government and governance | Australia
The United States’ European allies have been worrying about the state of their alliance, but the Indo-Pacific can provide an arena for cooperation that could help calm some of the friction that has built up across the Atlantic, Gorana Grgic writes.
7 minute read
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On this episode, Chris Farnham chats with Professor Rory Medcalf about the future of the Indo-Pacific region and Australia's place in it.
Environment & energy | Australia
With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, the countries of the region are beginning to co-operate to mitigate disasters. Early warning and accurate risk assessment must be the core of their outlook, Paul Barnes writes.
8 minute read
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International relations | Australia
This episode of the National Security Podcast draws a line through the emerging geopolitical concept of the Indo-Pacific. As security policies evolve, Chris Farnham asks how nations in the region are internalising the Indo-Pacific concept and incorporating it into national strategy.
As competition rises amongst major powers of the Indo-Pacific, so do concerns around China’s increasing involvement in small Pacific nations and their economies, Bahauddin Foizee writes.
4 minute read
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Amidst mounting tensions between China and the US, this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue saw several countries reveal their own hopes and dreams for the Indo-Pacific, as well as reinforcing the lack of trust existing in the region, Huong Le Thu writes.
6 minute read
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India and Japan have reasons to strengthen their Indo-Pacific partnership, though it may never amount to a formal alliance, Tan Ming Hui and Nazia Hussain write.
5 minute read
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The increasingly apparent fragility of the rules-based order, as well as a lively debate on security and defence, are stepping up European interest in the Indo-Pacific, Eva Pejsova writes.
8 minute read
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This year Policy Forum produced more than 60 podcasts covering a huge range of issues, from LGBT rights in India, to Indigenous water rights in Northern Australia, and from the rise of populism around the world, to the mechanics of the Australian Public Service. In this post, we present you the top 10 of our policy podcasts from this year that you were listening to (and if you didn’t listen to them, well, what else do you have planned over the festive break?)
