Australia's Security in China's Shadow

Description

A major shift in the paradigm undergirding relations between Australia and China has become clear in the early 2020s, with geopolitical concerns trumping economic considerations. Canberra has implemented a range of new policies in response to the risks it perceives in Australia’s economic relations with China, the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to exert political influence in Australia, the expanding capabilities and presence of the People’s Liberation Army, and Beijing’s economic and diplomatic gains in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. China’s policies towards Australia have become more coercive in economic as well as diplomatic terms. However, Australia has withstood Beijing’s punitive trade measures without suffering significant economic damage. China’s more assertive regional posture has prompted far-reaching changes to Australia’s defence and alliance policy settings, including new capability acquisitions and strategic initiatives such as AUKUS. In this Adelphi book, Euan Graham argues that Australia has provided an imperfect but nevertheless useful exemplar of how governments may respond effectively to multifarious security challenges from China. In particular, the Australian case shows how measures to address domestic vulnerabilities may serve as the foundation for a successful China policy at the international level. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Author Glossary Map of Australia and Its Surrounding Region Chapter One: The End of the Affair Chapter Two: China Policy Begins at Home A Home-Grown Constituency Political Influence Why Australia? Political Interference Federal Fault Lines China and Australian Academia Responses Conclusion Chapter Three: The Political Economy of Australia–China Relations Structure of Trade Coercion Campaign Investment Responses Conclusion Chapter Four: The China Factor in Australia’s Defence Strategy and Alliance Posture Bilateral Defence Relations China as a Strategic Concern China and The Us–Australia Alliance Responses Capability Enhancements Nuclear Weapons Conclusion Chapter Five: Australia’s Indo-Pacific Statecraft and Southeast Asia Australia, China and The Indo-Pacific Australia and China in Southeast Asia Minilaterals and Bilaterals Conclusion Chapter Six: Competing with China in the Southwest Pacific Latent Potential Shadow-Boxing Cat and Mouse Responses Conclusion Chapter Seven: Learning to Live in China’s Shadow Notes Index