Does China seek to nurture and develop its ties to the Middle East as a prerequisite towards supplanting the United States as the security guarantor and primary extra-regional power there?

This report argues that if American policymakers can make sound decisions about how to evolve the capabilities, operating concepts and posture of their armed forces, and embed these in sensible policies for the region, a balance of power can be sustained.

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is expanding its research collaboration with universities outside of China. Since 2007, the PLA has sponsored more than 2,500 military scientists and engineers to study abroad and has developed relationships with researchers and institutions across the globe.

The purpose of this report is not to deny that China’s behaviour can present challenges to Australia’s national interest. It is essential that Australian responses to China’s rise and its behaviour are grounded in facts and evidence.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between India, the US, Japan and Australia (the Quad, sometimes referred to as the QSD) was initiated more than a decade ago, but fell apart after Australia withdrew support in 2008. The four members restarted the idea (Quad 2.0) on the sidelines of the two 2017 ASEAN summits.