This was a very stimulating and entertaining discussion around the historical influence of the USA in the Indo-Pacific region over the last six decades, the issue ofallies and burden sharing, Australia’s diplomatic role between China and the USA and the economic independence from Trump isolationist economising.
The forum was presented by the Confucius Institute at UWA, the Perth USASIA Centre and the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University. Issues discussed:
- How would the Indo-Pacific region’s economic and security architecture adjust, particularly after U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
- What would U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific look like under the Trump Administration?
- How would Chinese and other policymakers likely respond to the Trump agenda on trade, alliances and regional diplomacy
Speakers
Dr Jeffrey Wilson
Dr Wilson is a Research Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre and the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University. He is an international political economist who specialises in economic regionalism in the Indo-Pacific. He has consulted for government and business on regional trade issues and is a frequent television and print commentator on Australia’s place in the Asian region.
Professor Baogang He
Professor He is an Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in International Relations at Deakin University in Victoria. Professor He has forged an international reputation for his depth of knowledge on China’s political and economic structures and China’s Asian relationships. He is a former fellow of many regional universities and has advised government and international organisations.
Professor Kanishka Jayasuriya
Professor Jayasuriya is a Professor of Politics and Internatonal Studies and a Fellow of the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University in Perth. He has long held teaching and research appointments in Australian and international universities, focusing primarily on changing dynamics in Asian civil society, Indo-Pacific governance and regional political and economic leadership.