A Sea of Troubles: The Indo-Pacific Region

The busy sea lanes of the Indo-Pacific region make it a major centre of global geostrategic interest. As the contest between China and the US has heated up, the stakes have only grown higher: Washington seeks to demonstrate its commitment to the freedom of navigation and to the security of Taiwan, while China wishes to become the region’s clear hegemon. Competition among regional powers is also growing, as countries such as Australia, India, and Japan pursue their interests and seek to balance China’s influence. Meanwhile, although the war in Ukraine may seem distant, it has had profound effects on the region, where many countries have tried to maintain a delicate balance in their relations with Russia.

Speakers

Akiko Fukushima

Senior Fellow at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research

Matthew D Johnson

Visiting Fellow at The Hoover Institution And Research Director At Garnaut Global

Bobo Lo

Independent International Relations Analyst

Jonathan Miller

Senior Fellow and Director of the Foreign Affairs, National Defence and National Security program at the Macdonald Laurier Institute

Rebecca Strating

Director of La Trobe Asia

Moderator

Justin Vogt

Executive Editor at Foreign Affairs Magazine

What can the loose constellation of regional powers do better to balance Chinese influence and improve regional security? How can actors from outside the region contribute? Under what circumstances might China attack Taiwan? What can be done to deter China’s military ambitions in the region? How might the outcome of Russia’s war in Ukraine influence the security dynamics of the region?

“… to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them.”
William Shakespeare, Hamlet (c. 1610)