Australian government to unveil new foreign policy White Paper

In Canberra today, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will release the government’s first foreign policy white paper in 14 years.

Outlining the country’s foreign policy outlook for the next decade, the paper will focus on humanitarian spending, furthering Australia’s free trade agenda, maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region and preserving the international rules-based order.

The paper comes amidst uncertain times as tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program remain high. Moreover, US leadership has waned under its idiosyncratic President Trump and Chinese nationalism is rising under the increasingly authoritarian President Xi Jinping.

The recent resuscitation of the quadrilateral strategic dialogue, which includes Japan, India, Australia and the US, indicates the country’s aims to take a more active balancing role against China.

All attention will be on how the government aims to navigate its relationship with the two great powers and define its leadership role in the Pacific.

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