Battlegrounds With H.R. McMaster: International Perspectives

The Strength of Alliances: Australia’s Crucial Role in a Free and Open Indo-Pacific | Battlegrounds | H.R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Jul 30, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Justin Bassi, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and former National Security Advisor, delves into Australia's vital role in the Indo-Pacific. He highlights China's military rise as a significant threat and emphasizes the need for strategic alliances like AUKUS to counter its aggression. Bassi also touches on internal debates in Australia regarding its foreign policy and the importance of transparent discussions on security issues. Additionally, he uses rugby as a metaphor for teamwork in international alliances, showcasing the need for unity in facing global challenges.

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INSIGHT

China's Rise is Australia's Top Threat

Australia's top security threat is China's military and technological rise.
Australia must address multiple simultaneous crises with mature, coordinated responses.

INSIGHT

Balance Economy and Sovereignty

Economic relationships with China must include due diligence to protect security.
Prioritizing short-term economic gain over sovereignty risks major vulnerabilities.

ADVICE

Strategic Competition and Infrastructure Security

Compete by openly calling China a strategic rival, not just an economic partner.
Protect critical infrastructure by excluding high-risk suppliers and collaborate with allies for alternatives.

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Join Justin Bassi, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and former National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss threats to international security, Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and opportunities for Canberra and Washington to work together to promote peace and prosperity. Viewing China’s military and technological rise as Australia’s top security threat, Bassi discusses the ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party leaders and how Australia and its allies can compete more effectively to counter CCP aggression and prevent a war with China. The US and Australia sharing a deep history since World War I, Bassi reflects on how more recent internal debates are playing out within Australia regarding Trump administration policies, how we can promote a positive agenda to advance our mutual interests, and his views on the future of AUKUS – the alliance between Australia, the US and the UK to strengthen defense and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Justin Bassi is the Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. From 2015 to 2018, Bassi served as National Security Adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, where he was responsible for security policy and operations, including counter terrorism, foreign interference, and cyberspace. He then served as the Cyber Intelligence Mission Manager at the Office of National Intelligence, and later as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne. Prior to this role, Bassi served as National Security Adviser to the Attorney-General. He spent over a decade in the Australian Public Service, including in the intelligence community and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.