Time for Australia to manage peace, not war

"But after 11 years in Afghanistan, we need to concentrate on our own region – managing peace rather than war with confidence-building and regional diplomacy. Countries like Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are in need of our attention and assistance. And we need to focus much more on South East Asia.

"We should re-tool our relationship with countries like Indonesia and recognise that South East Asia is the lynchpin of the vast Indo-Pacific region.

"We do not need to spend three to four per cent of GDP on defence, but we do need to increase it eventually to about two per cent to make sure we have a measure of technological advantage.

"Our area of primary military operational interest is the eastern Indian Ocean, South East Asia and the South Pacific down to Antarctica – that's 10 per cent of the world's surface and plenty enough for us."

In answer to my question about whether situations like the current incursion by Chinese troops into Indian territory in Jammu Kashmir could escalate into a larger conflict, he said that while India was a long way behind China, it had significant military potential which it would continue to develop.

"I don't think the current disagreements over borders will amount to a great deal," he said.

Professor Dibb is Emeritus Professor of strategic studies and Chairman of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at The Australian National University. He was head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre from 1991 to 2003.

His previous positions include: Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defence, Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation, and Head of the National Assessments Staff (National Intelligence Committee).

His address was presented jointly by the Australian Institute of International Affairs and the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.