ASPI suggests
22 Oct 2012|

Welcome back for our weekly round-up of articles, reports and events in the strategy, defence and security world.

Articles and news

What is the biggest security problem in today’s world? This Foreign Policy article discusses five of the world’s potential ‘flash points’.

Next, Washington-based think tank Center for a New American Security has a timeline for the East and South China Seas that documents the various disputes and confrontations from 1955 to the present.

China’s defence aviation industry—much like Japan’s many years ago—has been criticised as being imitative of the west. But the sector is driving innovation and has started to produce results that are causing a rethink. This latest RSIS Commentary (PDF) by Michael Raska is a short and sweet summary of China’s aviation industry now that its ‘next generation’ fighters have been unveiled.

Sticking with the China theme, here’s the podcast and audio for the latest IQ2 Debate ‘We’ve nothing to fear from a powerful China’ featuring Rizal Sukma, Joanne Wood, Michael Wesley and John Lee.

Events

For Twitter users, the Army is coming! On Tuesday 30 October, this year’s Chief of Army Exercise will live tweet the first of two expert panels via the Land Warfare Studies Centre account (@lwscaustralia) from 1pm AEDST. What’s more, Twitter users are invited to submit questions to the panel based on this topic:

It is widely accepted that many contemporary security issues are unable to be addressed by use of the military alone. What are realistic aspirations for, and limitations of, combined, multi-agency coordination in order to address security concerns and build constructive relationships within the Indo-Pacific region?

For Canberra-based readers, the UN Association of Australia is hosting a United Nations Day event at which the Deputy Chief of Army, Major General Angus Campbell, will speak about Australia’s contribution to peacekeeping operations; Wednesday 24 October at 6pm, ACT Legislative Assembly. To RSVP, email the UN Association of Australia.

If you’re in Melbourne this week, AIIA Victoria will be hosting a two-way discussion with occasional Strategist contributor Paul Monk on Australia’s strategic challenges on Thursday 25 October from 6.15pm.

Next week, we’ll be presenting a special US Presidential election edition of ASPI suggests. The intended level of defence spending has been one point of differentiation between the two candidates, so stay tuned.