By Philipp Ivanov
A year of crises should not divert Canberra’s attention from a vital region.
For Australian foreign policy, 2014 was a year of crises management. The immediate and urgent responses to events such as the MH17 disaster, Martin Place siege, and terrorism threat by the Islamic State have taken precedence over Australia’s longer-term bilateral and multilateral priorities, most of which are squarely in the Indo-Pacific region.
While the risk of a terrorist attack on Australia by the disciples of Islamic fundamentalism aggrieved by Australian actions in the Middle East is real and immediate, fundamentally, Australian security and, no less importantly, prosperity are dependent on the stability of the Indo-Pacific. The region – largely peaceful and thriving – also displays increasing interstate rivalries and strategic, economic and social vulnerabilities, which threaten to derail the Indo-Pacific’s rise as a global center of power. A conflict or an economic and social upheaval, even largely localized, will have a disastrous impact on the delicate balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and its development.
It is the long-term issues of economic and social advancement and strategic stability of the Indo-Pacific region that will determine Australia’s success as a dynamic and resilient nation equipped to deal with internal shocks and external threats. Sketching the region’s players, developments and undercurrents reveals a remarkable mix of economic and social dynamism, connectivity, and diversity, but also strategic distrust, anxiety, and political fluidity.
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