Dougal Robinson is a Lowy Institute Defence Intern.
The Australian Government's Defence White Paper is a week old. Islamabad noticed, as did New York. Here's a round-up of the major judgments:
- The Lowy Institute's Rory Medcalf: 'Canberra's revised strategic policy is not as meek as it seems about the risk of trouble with China'.
- The Chinese Foreign Ministry's Hua Chunying: 'The white paper's welcoming attitude toward China's peaceful rise demonstrates Australia's emphasis on its ties with China'.
- Fairfax's Peter Hartcher: 'The Australian government has engaged in a delusion that China's rise will bring only happy things'.
- ASPI's Peter Jennings: 'It's pleasing to see the statement finally tackling, and dismissing, the tired shibboleth of having to choose between China and the US'.
- The Lowy Institute's James Brown: 'This white paper doesn't provide a lot of certainty on just how the ADF would perform if it ever had to go to war in the Asian Century'.
- US security expert and Lowy Institute Non-Resident Fellow Michael Green: 'I liked the White Paper's emphasis on the Indo-Pacific concept'.
- The Australian's Greg Sheridan: 'I think it's a disgrace...This White Paper is a kind of fantasy-fiction document'.
- The Lowy Institute's Rory Medcalf & James Brown: Lack of funding 'could have a significant impact on Australia's ability to stand alongside the U.S. and others as a confident ally at a time when other defense budgets in a turbulent region are rising rapidly'.
- ASPI's Andrew Davies on the submarine decision: 'This decision has removed the two least expensive, least risky, (probably) fastest and least capable options (off-the-shelf) from the potential solution'.
- Fairfax China correspondent John Garnaut: 'In the world of words, symbols and psychology that is occupied by Chinese military strategists, the white paper is an exemplar of their success. Sun Tzu has been validated and a victory has been won.'
