10 Sept 2020 10:00 (Tokyo time)/11:00 Sydney/9 September 21:00 Washington DC
Ashley Townshend: Understanding New Security Thinking in Australia
Dear friends,
We hope you can join us for this session. If interested please send us your information from the application form linked below.
Center for Rule-Making Strategies, Tama University.
Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies, Temple University Japan
On July 1, the Australian government published the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan, which outline a new strategy for the country. The documents, which the Department of Defense call “a new strategic policy framework, ” draw on the 2016 Defense White Paper and are being seen as a watershed in Australian strategic thinking. The update is based on the recognition that there is a severe shift in the regional security environment and a shrinking window of time to address the threats that are emerging. The following month, Australia and the United States held their regular ministerial meeting, the AUSMIN. At that meeting, Australia signaled its readiness to work on a broad Indo-Pacific agenda, and to take the lead in doing so.
Japan’s ties with Australia have been tightening in recent years to the point that both governments now see the other as a vital security partner. To explore the meaning and significance of changes in Australian security policy and their potential impact on Japan and the region, please join us for a conversation with Ashley Townshend.
Ashley Townshend is Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He works on international security and strategic affairs with a focus on the Indo-Pacific, including regional alliances and partnerships, maritime security, defence policy, and US, Chinese, and Australian strategy.
Co-hosted by:
Brad Glosserman
Visiting Professor at the CRS, Tama University and Senior Adviser at Pacific Forum
Akira Igata
Executive DirectorCRS, Tama University
Robert Dujarric
Co-Director, ICAS
Temple University Japan