China appears to have switched from a foot-dragging strategy to public enthusiasm for a finalised agreement on an ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Such a document may reduce the scope for American involvement, but doesn’t necessarily mean that China desires a wholesale overhaul of the rules-based order.

A curious element of Hugh White’s argument for a massive restructure and rebuilding of Australian defence is that a war with a well-armed enemy could somehow not devastate the trade routes this island nation relies on for supplies.

Despite the vast opportunities to increase India-Australia maritime cooperation, different traditional instincts about security collaboration and both states’ fear of upsetting China is a major hindrance to an otherwise fated marriage.

Live and rolling media coverage of international crises exemplified the media’s power over policymaking agendas. But with the media landscape contracting to corporate interests and fragmenting due to the rise of new media, can the industry still exert the same kind of influence?

Johnson’s judicious refusal to be baited will give him the political space to begin repairing bruised relations with the White House and its tweet-prone cantankerous occupant.

While aspects of India’s foreign policy are evolving, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referenced Indian history in his renewed focus on oceans. As well as integrating India into the regional architecture, more can be done by India and Australia to deepen the Indo-Pacific landscape.

In light of ASEAN's explanation of its "outlook on the Indo-Pacific," it is important to remember that Indonesia and ASEAN have taken a different approach to the concept than other regional actors, especially the United States.

Australia’s options for defending itself are in the news with the release of Hugh White’s How to Defend Australia. Will it shake up thinking or is there is no appetite for change?

Hugh White should be praised for getting Australians to think the unthinkable and alerting them to our deteriorating strategic situation, the unreliability of US security assistance and the need to get on better with our neighbours.     

Despite greater unity on the concept of the “free and open Indo-Pacific,” the renewed Quadrilateral Security Dialogue may suffer from many of the same problems as its predecessor.