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
International relations | Australia
Is the ‘Indo-Pacific’ a way to create a better ‘mental map’ of our region or an unhelpful abstraction? Martin Blaszczyk takes a look.
3 minute read
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Government and governance | Australia
The recent Australian budget sends all the right signals about the country's security and foreign policy priorities, Jacinta Carroll writes.
5 minute read
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International relations | Australia
President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Australia is a chance to highlight that the two countries have significant overlapping interests, Anthony Bergin writes.
6 minute read
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International relations | Asia
There is some of the new but much more of the old in US-Indonesia defence relations following the US Defense Secretary’s visit, writes Mustafa Izzuddin.
7 minute read
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International relations | Asia
India’s foreign policy elites are grappling with a wide array of strategic challenges as the country’s power rises, writes David Brewster.
8 minute read
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Government and governance | Australia
Improved relations between Malaysia and Australia could help Prime Minister Najib Razak in his push for re-election, Mustafa Izzuddin writes.
7 minute read
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International relations | Australia
The US, Japan, Australia and India must find common answers to four big questions if their revived quadrilateral partnership is to mean anything, Keshav Kelkar writes.
4 minute read
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Government and governance | Australia
Anthony Bergin shares his key takeaways from India’s Raisina Dialogue and takes a look at how Australia and India could deepen their relationship in the Indo-Pacific.
10 minute read
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International relations | Australia
From joint naval operations in the Arabian Sea to Indian aircraft in Darwin, Canberra and New Delhi have no shortage of options for meaningful defence cooperation, David Brewster writes.
8 minute read
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As China takes advantage of America's reticence and Southeast Asia's democratic deficit, India-ASEAN relations are at a crossroads, Akhil Deo writes.
6 minute read
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