For many years, Australia largely neglected the Indian Ocean as the second of three oceans that surround the Australian continent. For many decades Australia focused on its neighbours in the Pacific and East Asia as key economic and security partners. Australia has a long history of being an active middle power in terms of organising and securing its region and it has long been a leading player in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Lire la suite

Australia and France have both been at the forefront in adopting the Indo-Pacific as their conceptual frame of reference in understanding this region, although they have approached the idea from somewhat different angles, reflecting their different history and geographies. Both countries share underlying concerns about China’s hegemonic ambitions as well as concerns about a series of transnational security threats that could threaten the security and stability of smaller countries in the Indo-Pacific. This creates many imperatives for the two countries to work together and with others as Indo-Pacific partners. Key potential initiatives include areas such as maritime security (particularly in Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), environmental security and good ocean governance. Lire la suite

L’évolution accélérée du contexte stratégique dans l’Indo-Pacifique a entraîné la décision australienne de se doter de sous-marins nucléaires d’attaque, entraînant de facto la rupture du programme engagé avec la France. AUKUS traduit cette nouvelle ambition pour Canberra d’être plus actif dans la région. Lire les premières lignes