Rebalancing and order building: Strategy or illusion?

This chapter explains the positions advocated by Australian commentators who have been party to the debate. It tells the story of Australia's place in the American pivot. A handful of current and former senior Australian political figures have joined White in adopting a similarly critical stance on the US pivot strategy. Abbott's international security adviser Andrew Shearer is also a prominent member of the hawkish camp, arguing that Australia should throw its lot in with the United States in confronting China's rise. The lack of explicit focus on Australia during the early days of the Obama Administration's pivot strategy seemed to do little to undermine Canberra's stated support for the strategy. The Obama Administration has been attentive to the public debate regarding Australia's response to the US pivot and there are indications that this debate has generated some sensitivity in Washington.