Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology, Sydney
Time: 11am to 12pm Monday November 3, 2014
Location: Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, Building 188, Fellows Lane, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200
RSVP by 29 October here.
The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) is an independent nonpartisan think tank recently established by the University of Technology, Sydney. ACRI is unique. It focuses on the Australia-China relationship at a time when it is crucial to Australia’s future.
ACRI has commissioned a report on East China Sea: Does ANZUS Apply? The report has been written by Professor Nick Bisley, Executive Director, La Trobe Asia, and Dr Brendan Taylor, Head, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, School of International, Political & Strategic Studies, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.
Tensions between the two historical great powers of East Asia, China and Japan, have ratcheted up in recent years to the point where their territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea is increasingly regarded as this region’s most dangerous flashpoint. The prospect of Sino-Japanese conflict over these islands is one that cannot be taken lightly by Australia. Economically, three of our four leading trading partners are located in Northeast Asia, while sea lanes vital to Australian trade run through the waters of the East China Sea. Strategically and politically, two US allies are based in this region and America retains a strong forward military presence there.
This report starts from the premise that insufficient analytical attention has been given to the potential ramifications for Australia of conflict in the East China Sea, particularly in terms of whether Australia’s alliances obligations with the United States could embroil Canberra in a conflict. The purpose of this paper is to begin to fill the gap in Australia’s public and policy debate by analyzing the circumstances under which conflict in the East China Sea could occur and the implications thereof for Australia.
The report will be launched at the Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, Building 188, Fellows Lane, Australian National University, Canberra on Monday, November 3, 2014 at 11.00 am.
Contact: ACRI T +612 9514 8951 E: acri@uts.edu.au
Website: http://www.acri.uts.edu.au