Australia is anchored in Asia, yet elements of our defence posture continue to assume a different centre of gravity. This makes it difficult to reconcile long-term strategic planning with the region Australia relies on for its economic security and wellbeing.

Australia is deeply integrated into Asia in every practical sense that matters. We trade there, we depend on it for growth, and increasingly our prosperity is shaped by it. Yet much of our strategic thinking continues to behave as if this reality is secondary. This is the central contradiction in Australian policy today.

The gap between economic reality and strategic imagination is no longer abstract. It is visible in trade dependence, supply chain exposure, energy vulnerability and the lived experience of recent global shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Keating’s push to embed Australia within Asia was not symbolic. It reflected a strategic reading of geography, economics and long-term national interest. Through initiatives such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, he sought to align Australia with the region that would define its future. That future is now our present.

Australia is a middle power whose prosperity is structurally tied to Asia. Our major trading partners including China, Japan, South Korea, India and the economies of Association of Southeast Asian Nations are central to our export economy and national income. Minerals, energy, agriculture and education are deeply embedded in Asian demand and supply chains.

In economic terms, Australia is already part of Asia. This economic reality is reinforced socially. Modern Australia is one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world, with a significant and growing proportion of Australians having roots in Asia. These communities bring language, cultural understanding and direct........

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