The 30th round of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations will soon take place at a time of major global disruption and unprecedented domestic pressure, accelerated by the spread of COVID-19. It is a critical moment for the Australia-US alliance to provide strong and collaborative regional leadership in the Indo-Pacific.
Bolstering the resilience of our neighbourhood should be at the top of the policy agenda, spanning health security and economic development to the balance of military power and our shared defences against disinformation and cyberattack. Although the United States is mired in a pandemic-fuelled health crisis, and while Australia is only tentatively recovering from COVID-19’s first wave, our shared interests in fostering a healthy, stable and resilient Indo-Pacific cannot be postponed and must be wholeheartedly embraced at AUSMIN 2020.
To discuss these issues, USSC hosted a webinar on our latest report Bolstering Resilience in the Indo-Pacific: Policy Options for AUSMIN After COVID-19, featuring authors Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Ashley Townshend, Research Fellow Brendan Thomas-Noone, Research Associate Matilda Steward of the United States Studies Centre, and Dr Jeffrey Wilson, Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre in conversation with Perth USAC CEO Gordon Flake.
Show Notes
Ashley Townshend is Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, where he works on strategic affairs with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Ashley is also founding convenor and co-chair of the US-Australia Indo-Pacific Deterrence Dialogue and a lecturer in the Centre’s postgraduate program. A frequent contributor to the Australian and international media, Ashley’s analysis has appeared in outlets such as the Financial Times, CNN, the Australian Financial Review, Bloomberg, ABC, and Sky News.
Brendan Thomas-Noone is a Research Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre where he works on national security and technology issues, US defence and foreign policy and Indo-Pacific security. A frequent media contributor, Brendan’s research has appeared in national and international newspapers including The Economist, the Australian Financial Review and The Washington Post.
Matilda Steward is Research Associate in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program and tutor in US and Australian politics at the United States Studies Centre. Previously, Matilda was a Research Assistant in Sydney University’s Department of Government and International Relations, where she worked on a longitudinal study tracking foreign perceptions of the United States. She completed a semester-long exchange at Georgetown University in Washington DC during her final year of undergraduate study.
Jeffrey Wilson is the Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre. He provides leadership and strategic direction in developing the Centre’s research program across its publications, policy and dialogue activities. Dr Wilson specialises in the regional economic integration of the Indo-Pacific. He has particular expertise in the politics of trade agreements, regional economic institutions, and Australia’s economic ties with Asia. He has been featured in local and international media outlets, contributed to a range of track two dialogues between Australia and key regional partners, and supported policy development through consultancy, publication and advisory work.
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