At this roundtable discussion, we will explore the future of the US-Australia alliance, with guest speakers Evan Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Courtney Stewart, Senior Managing Consultant at OCRT in Canberra and a former senior US defence official.
In the weeks since his inauguration, President Trump has made waves globally – from his position on Ukraine, to Gaza, to NATO. But for Australia, the relationship with the US remains vital. That importance will only grow, as China seeks to dominate critical mineral supply chains, gain the edge in critical technologies, and step up its military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
How can Australia navigate its relationship with the US under Trump 2.0? What are the potential risks and opportunities, including for the AUKUS partnership? Evan and Courtney will unpack the Carnegie Asia Program’s recent report Alliance Future: Rewiring Australia and the United States and the road ahead.
This discussion will proceed under the Chatham House Rule.
Meet the speakers
Evan A. Feigenbaum
Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Evan A. Feigenbaum is Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where he oversees its work in Washington, Beijing, New Delhi and Singapore. Holding a PhD in Chinese politics from Stanford University, his career has spanned government, think tanks, the private sector, and three regions of Asia. In government he served twice as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (at the US Department of State) and advised two US Secretaries of State and a former Treasury Secretary. He is the author of three books, including The United States in the New Asia (CFR, 2009) and China’s Techno-Warriors: National Security and Strategic Competition from the Nuclear to the Information Age (Stanford University Press, 2003), as well as numerous articles and essays. His most recent report for the Carnegie Endowment, Alliance Future: Rewiring Australia and the United States examines opportunities for Australia-US defence collaboration.
Courtney Stewart
Senior Managing Consultant, OCRT in Canberra and former senior US defence official
Courtney Stewart is a Senior Managing Consultant at OCRT in Canberra, Australia. She has over 20 years of experience in government, industry, and think tanks in the areas of national security and deterrence in the US, Australia, and UK. Between 2015-2018, Courtney served as the US Policy Exchange Officer to Australia’s Department of Defence. Prior to her posting, Courtney held numerous positions in the Pentagon including roles in nuclear and missile defence, Asia and Pacific security affairs, homeland defence integration, nuclear matters and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review staff. Her contributions in defence were acknowledged through a US Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service in 2015.
Related information
Alliance Future: Rewiring Australia and the United States
Evan A. Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Australian and American defence strategies, while closely aligned, are not identical. To build the alliance will require aligning resources, building complementary regional relationships, and investing in resilience.
Roundtables with the Perth USAsia Centre
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