In his latest contribution to the Quarterly Essay, Hugh White shows that the contest between America and China is classic power politics of the harshest kind. He argues that we are heading for an unprecedented future, one without an English-speaking great and powerful friend to keep us secure and protect our interests. White sketches what the new Asia will look like, and how China could use its power.

Hugh White was in conversation with the Centre’s Acting Director, Foreign Policy, Defence and Strategy Ashley Townshend and moderator Adjunct Associate Professor James Brown. They examined developments in America’s Asia policy and US-China relations, and discussed the implications for Australia and other regional allies.