The Challenges of the Indo-Pacific: What Awaits the Next Australian Government?
Accounting for 60 percent of global maritime trade and the world’s largest share of GDP, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a region of strategic importance for Australia and its partners, particularly India.
With similar concerns about the sharpening ambition of China, as well as converging views regarding the regional strategic landscape, Australia and India have forged an important strategic partnership in ensuring the security and prosperity of the region. Their mutual membership of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) amongst other “minilateral” groups illustrates this closeness well.
However, recent world events such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific has created instability in the region. These issues will need to be urgently addressed by the incoming government as they have long term implications for Australia and India’s relationship as well as Australia’s wider role in the Indo-Pacific.
What will be the political and economic fallout from the ongoing war in Ukraine? How does India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict impact its relationship with Australia and the QUAD? How is the security of the Indo-Pacific impacted by the rise and assertiveness of China? How can Australia better engage with its ASEAN neighbours, particularly Indonesia?
AIIA Victoria and AII invite you to join a discussion with Prof Ian Hall, The Hon Lisa Singh and Ms Emma Connors.
This event is in partnership with the Australia India Institute and DFAT Victoria State Office.
Ian Hall is a professor in International Relations at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia and is the Deputy Director (Research) of the Griffith Asia Institute. He is also an academic fellow at the Australia-India Institute at the University of Melbourne and is Co-Editor of the AIIA’s Australian Journal of International Affairs. His latest book ‘Modi and the Reinvention of Indian Foreign Policy (Bristol University Press) was published in 2019.
The Hon. Lisa Singh is the CEO of the Australia-India Institute, deputy chair of the Australia-India Council, an Asialink board member and a former Australian senator with 20 years of parliamentary experience. In recognition of her advocacy, the President of India awarded her the highest civilian honour, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, for her exceptional and meritorious public service fostering friendly relations between India and Australia.
Emma Connors has three decades experience in journalism. She has worked at The Australian Financial Review for 20 years in total and also spent two years in an editorial role at the Sydney-based think tank, the Lowy Institute. At the Financial Review Emma has reported on economics, health, technology, national politics and geopolitical issues and written across the paper and sister publications including The AFR Magazine. Emma was appointed South-east Asia Correspondent for Financial Review in October 2019. She spent six months in Jakarta before moving to Singapore in April 2021.