This paper calls for Australia to abandon the 'Balanced Force' concept and refocus its military on managing strategic risks related to the rise of China.

Professor White argues that Chinese power will challenge US primacy, undercutting the basic assumptions of Australian defence policy. He poses questions about the risks Australia faces over coming decades, how armed force can help manage those risks, whether current forces are up to the job, and whether the country can afford forces that are. This paper, with its controversial force-structure recommendations, is a major contribution to the Australian security debate on the eve of the 2009 Defence White Paper.