Quarterly Essay 98: Hugh White in conversation with Joanna Jenkins

Hugh White is Australia’s pre-eminent commentator on defence matters. In his recent publications (Sleepwalk to War: Australia’s Unthinking Alliance with America, and his book, How to Defend Australia) he has been highly critical of our country’s involvement in AUKUS. 

For Outspoken he will be discussing his June 2025 Quarterly Essay On War & Peace & the New Global Order, in which he analyses the present geo-political trends, offering ways in which Australia might respond.

He argues that, right now, we confront the world's most dangerous crisis in generations, with the old global order facing a direct challenge in three crucial regions: Eastern Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. Meanwhile, under Donald Trump, America's retreat from leadership has been both swift and erratic.

White examines the dynamics of the US–China rivalry, and the new regional order which is emerging, as well as exploring Australia's options. He also addresses the strategic issues driving the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and where they might lead. He lays out in stark terms the hard choices ahead and explains how we can make our way in the world as it is, not how we might wish it to be.

Hugh White is a former Deputy Secretary for Strategy in the Department of Defence, and was the founding Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. He is now Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra.