This speech was delivered by Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the ANU National Security College, Canberra on 21 May 2018.

China may not like it, but this weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue will reinforce the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific concept, Rory Medcalf writes.

The strategic benefits of China’s Belt and Road Initiative must be weighed against domestic efficiency costs, John Gibson writes.

Russia’s activities in its ‘near abroad’ and China’s Belt and Road initiative might be set to clash in Eurasia, writes Michael Clarke.

A new transport station near the Kazakhstan border might seem like China is muscling in on Russian influence over the region. In reality, the project represents the status quo of rail geopolitics, Shang-su Wu writes.

China could increase its soft power impact, but openness, transparency, and tolerance of debate present significant hurdles, Asit K Biswas and Kris Hartley write.