Australia finds its way: How a middle power prepared for peril in the Indo-Pacific

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shattered illusions of the world as a safe place for small and middle powers. This alarm is hardly confined to Europe. In the Indo-Pacific – the vast maritime region at the global centre of strategic gravity – a long awakening was already underway. Now the Indo-Pacific’s many middle players are struggling to secure their future in a contested region. Here the repercussions of Putin’s war combine with the gathering tempo of Xi’s push for dominance.