An Indo-Pacific Update: Expert Perspectives from Australia, the USA and Canada

The concept of Indo-Pacific, an initiative envisaged by Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and ultimately embraced by the United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and others, continues to evolve.  Australian thinker Rory Medcalf, who in 2020 published a seminal book, Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America, and the Contest for the World’s Pivotal Region reviewed the latest developments.  The Wilson Center’s Asia Program was a co-sponsor for this event and acting director Shihoko Goto reported on the Wilson Center’s US-Japan and Indo-Pacific initiatives, in particular through an economic security lens.  Trevor Kennedy, Vice-President, Trade and International Policy at the Business Council of Canada, commented on the first two presentations and offered a Canadian business perspective on the Indo-Pacific region.

Bios:

Described as “one of Australia's most prominent strategic thinkers”, Professor Rory Medcalf has been Head of the National Security College (NSC) at the Australian National University since January 2015. His professional background involves three decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, academia and journalism, including as founding Director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute from 2007 to 2015.

Full bio available at:  https://researchprofiles.anu.edu.au/en/persons/rory-medcalf

Shihoko Goto is acting director of the Asia Program and director for geoeconomics and Indo-Pacific enterprise at the Wilson Center. Her research focuses on the economics and politics of Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, as well as US policy in Northeast Asia.  

Full bio available at: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/shihoko-goto

Trevor Kennedy has served as Vice-President, Trade and International Policy at the Business Council since 2016.   He previously worked as a Trade Policy officer at Global Affairs Canada and was at the Asia Pacific Foundation as a Junior Research Fellow. He has written extensively on trade policy issues in Asian markets, including on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.  

Full bio available at: https://thebusinesscouncil.ca/staff/trevor-kennedy/

Organized by the Centre for the Study of Global Japan and co-sponsored by the Wilson Center’s Asia Program.