Security and defence : Pacific and global perspectives.

Includes bibliography (p. 472-482) and index

Australia's security and defence circumstances are unique. Australia is far from the central arenas of superpower contention, yet it is closely allied to the greatest superpower and hosts critical US strategic facilities. It is a neighbour of the most economically dynamic region of the world but in no significant economic, political or cultural dimension is it part of it. Australians occupy small fringes of the world's largest island continent but have yet to come to grips with creating a national security policy for securing the country. This book, in focusing on Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, counters the traditional Euro-or American-centric view of strategic affairs and defence questions. In providing a comprehensive in-depth study of this area of growing economic and political power while placing it in a global context, it deals with three broad areas of concern: global issues: exploring the future of the nuclear stratgegic balance between the superpowers, the development and relevance of non-provocative defence strategies, arms control and international terrorism; Australian national security policy-making: analysing defence strategies, and discussing the relevance of the ANZUS alliance; Regional security: making a country-by-country examination of the security concerns of nations in the region and their security relationships with Australia.