The five power defence arrangements and military cooperation among the ASEAN states: incompatible models for security in Southeast Asia

Abstract

The first section of this monograph describes the debate in Australia that has accompanied the consolidation of Australian defence policy since 1986 and the concurrent reorientation of Australian foreign policy. The relationship between these two policy areas is examined, particularly where tensions have been apparent. The monograph then moves from a focus on Australia to examine ASEAN perceptions of the changing regional security environment. It describes proposals for intra-regional military cooperation and the attitudes of regional countries toward the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The final part of the monograph proposes the development of further bilateral and intra-regional initiatives and concludes that these new defence cooperation models and the Five Power Defence Arrangements would work in complementary ways to promote regional order.