As China Rises and U.S. Influence Wanes, Australia Aims for Self-Reliance

As China Rises and U.S. Influence Wanes, Australia Aims for Self-Reliance
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks at Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, Feb. 10, 2020 (AP photo by Rick Rycroft).

When Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled his country’s updated defense strategy earlier this month, his remarks mentioned China only in passing. But according to Sam Roggeveen, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, Beijing’s mounting military prowess is becoming an increasingly serious concern for Australia’s national security community.

On the Trend Lines podcast this week, Roggeveen joined WPR’s Elliot Waldman from Canberra to discuss the Morrison government’s recent strategic reset in the context of China’s rise and the relative decline in the United States’ influence in the Asia-Pacific.

Listen to the full conversation here:

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