The US-dominated world order has been replaced by a multipolar order, but its closest allies such as Australia seek to retain American primacy, adding dangerously to heightened geopolitical competition between the dominant and the ascendant power, China. Where the first great power shift of the twenty-first century was across the Pacific from the United States to China, the next great power shift is now underway from Russia to China. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has depleted Russia of its power and influence across Eurasia, while China’s continues to grow. As China consolidates its power across Eurasia, it can turn to project power globally, just as the US did at the turn of the last century when it cemented its power over the western hemisphere. Diplomatically, Australia is forced to navigate an increasingly unfamiliar world where the guarantor of its security is no longer the sole dominant power, while China remains its most important economic partner. Is Australia agile enough to walk the fine line of supporting US primacy in the Asia-Pacific while providing a bulwark against China’s ambitions? In China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the New Global Order Geoff Raby believes something has to give – and unpacks the ramifications for Australia.
