U.S.-Australia Relations and Alliance Management: Challenges in the Time of Trump (Chapter 7 of The Trump Era: New Opportunities And Challenges In East Asia)

Australia has long been considered among America’s most reliable and substantial allies in warfare, intelligence and diplomacy. Yet even this ally is asking itself new questions about how to manage the alliance in an era of uncertainty, partly, but not solely, defined by the presidency of Donald Trump. As the global rules-based order comes under intense strain, as China asserts itself in Australia’s Asian or “Indo-Pacific” region, and as the risk horizon becomes more crowded with a wide range of security threats, Australia is going through a reality check about its security situation and the role and nature of the alliance.