Australia’s New Strategy in the Indian Ocean Region

Abstract

AbstractDespite having the longest coastline and the broadest jurisdiction of waters in the region, Australia has not been a major force in the Indian Ocean region for a long time, which is related to its maritime strategy and diplomatic tradition focusing on the Pacific Ocean. However, as the United States’ “Indo-Pacific” strategy, China’s BRI projects and India's big ambition further in this area, along with Australia's economic ties with the region, Australia is putting more attention and resource to the Indian Ocean region, stirring up security situation of this region and complicating strategic competition. From both structural pressure and unit-level incentive, it is highly necessary for Australia to re-examine the way it interacts with countries within the region and major external powers on the Indian Ocean. In terms of system pressure, Australia is noticing the strategic competitiveness escalating and even a “power vacuum” in the Indian Ocean region brought by the relative decline of American power, as well as the traditional and non-traditional threats to its western coast. At the reductive level, the transfer of domestic resources development and export to the west front of Australia, with the economic opportunities presenting in the Indian Ocean region also enable it to recognize those significant opportunities and benefits. Of course, as to specific policies and policy implementation of Australia on the Indian Ocean still, to some extent, depends on the evolution of its complex domestic politics, but what is certain is that Australia will continue to boost its influence on the political, economic and security situation of the Indian Ocean region, which might put forward new challenges on the dynamic of Sino Australian relationsKeywordsAustralian national strategyIndian Ocean regional orderMajor Power relations