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The US-dominated world order has been replaced by a multipolar order, but its closest allies such as Australia seek to retain American primacy, adding dangerously to heightened geopolitical competition between the dominant and the ascendant power, China.

Where the first great power shift of the twenty-first century was across the Pacific from the United States to China, the next great power shift is now underway from Russia to China. Putins invasion of Ukraine has depleted Russia of its power and influence across Eurasia, while Chinas continues to grow. As China consolidates its power across Eurasia, it can turn to project power globally, just as the US did at the turn of the last century when it cemented its power over the western hemisphere.

Diplomatically, Australia is forced to navigate an increasingly unfamiliar world where the guarantor of its security is no longer the sole dominant power, while China remains its most important economic partner. Is Australia agile enough to walk the fine line of supporting US primacy in the AsiaPacific while providing a bulwark against Chinas ambitions? InChinas Grand StrategyandAustralias Future in the New Global OrderGeoff Raby believes something has to give and unpacks the ramifications for Australia.