{"id":54291,"date":"2020-03-16T06:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-03-15T19:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=54291"},"modified":"2020-03-15T16:41:38","modified_gmt":"2020-03-15T05:41:38","slug":"six-inquiries-on-australias-south-pacific-step-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/six-inquiries-on-australias-south-pacific-step-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Six inquiries on Australia\u2019s South Pacific step-up"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Australia is doing a lot of thinking about what steps to take in the South Pacific.<\/p>\n

How high does the \u2018Pacific step-up\u2019<\/a> have to go? How many different steps? Step style? Step hierarchy? How to avoid oversteps or missteps or just stepping in it? Can the step-up hit its stride?<\/p>\n

Canberra hums. Six step-flavoured reviews and inquiries are afoot. Yep, six! Buzz, buzz, buzzzz …<\/p>\n

The Defence Department review<\/a>\u00a0of defence strategy and capabilities is almost complete. ASPI\u2019s Michael Shoebridge judges that<\/a> \u2018the strategic assessment has to be that China\u2019s power and military reach have grown faster than expected, including its ability to reach into and operate in Australia\u2019s near region\u2019. In the ways of Defence, the demands of Oz geography mean the South Pacific is central to the strategic pondering.<\/p>\n

Across the lake from Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is conducting its inquiry on a \u2018new international development policy\u2019<\/a> to support \u2018security, stability, prosperity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific\u2019. As with defence, Pacific calculations are crucial in foreign policy; the islands will continue to get the biggest share of Oz aid.<\/p>\n

Just up the hill from DFAT, in the building with the big flag, parliament\u2019s Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is holding four separate step-up inquiries:<\/p>\n