The Indo-Pacific is often portrayed as a region caught in a struggle between China and the United States, with countries in the region pressured to choose sides. But is this a realistic or useful way of understanding the region’s future?
Drawing on Australia’s experience, this lecture challenges the notion that countries must choose between economic prosperity and strategic security. As China’s largest trading partner and a longstanding U.S. ally, Australia illustrates the complexities of navigating an increasingly contested regional environment. The lecture explores how open trade, investment, secure maritime routes, and regional economic cooperation are essential to sustaining prosperity, while an effective balance of power remains critical to peace and stability.
The lecture will also examine the continuing role of the United States in regional security, the importance of its alliances with countries such as Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, and the challenges of relying on a partner that is both indispensable and, at times, unreliable. Ultimately, the lecture asks how countries in the Indo-Pacific can protect their economic interests, maintain strategic stability, and navigate great-power rivalry without being forced into an either-or choice.