ESCALATING tensions between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours over disputed islands in the South China Sea are the latest, worrying sign that China’s rise is ushering in a new era of strategic volatility and geo-political competition in Asia, that will be at its most dangerous in the Western Pacific.
But it is far from clear that the government has fully grasped the consequences of the evident deterioration in our near security environment or the wider challenge that China poses for our defence and foreign policies.
Our approach to China has been fragmented, under-resourced and overly focused on mineral exports at the expense of a broader appreciation of China’s strategic goals, energy anxieties and likely future behaviour.