After a quiet start to his presidency, United States President Joe Biden has made some recent decisive steps in engaging with Asia by selling nuclear submarines to Australia and establishing the AUKUS pact, outlining an approach to trade with China, and hosting a Quad summit at the White House, gathering with key U.S. partners in Asia.

A major part of this strategy is building up alliances to offer both the region and world at large to drive ‘responsible competition’ with China. With the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan signals a step away from the wars of the past two decades, Biden now has an opportunity to focus the US on the region it is says is its highest priority, Asia.

Guest: Professor Nick Bisley (Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University)

Recorded on 9 November, 2021.