What must Australia do to counter the rising military presence of China on Australia’s doorstep? How can it best position itself to meet its security challenges through to 2033 and beyond?

In August 2022, Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, and Australian Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, announced a major review into Australia’s Defence Force capabilities and structure, to better understand where to prioritise investment.

In this special Ramsay Lecture, the Hon Kim Beazley AC, a former Australian Ambassador to the United States and former Australian Defence Minister, outlines what he sees as the task for the defence review. With expert knowledge on past defence reviews, Australian military history and Australia’s strategic alliance with the US, Mr Beazley argues that in the face of increasing Chinese aggression, Australia is out of warning time. He argues that Australia needs to seriously reprioritise its defence needs to ensure it has sufficient capability to deter and defeat attacks with its own forces.