Roundtable with Admiral Mike Rogers
On Tuesday 28 February 2023, the Perth USAsia Centre hosted a roundtable discussion with Admiral (ret.) Mike Rogers, a four-star admiral who served under Presidents Obama and Trump, headed the US National Security Agency, commanded the US Cyber Command and was chief of the Central Security Service.
The wide-ranging discussion covered great power competition, the evolving relationship both the US and Australia have with China, and the role of multilateralism in shoring up regional stability.
Rapid advancements in technology were also changing how governments thought about security. For example, disinformation (false information deliberately disseminated by state and non-state actors via social media and other online platforms) were now playing a role in undermining democratic stability globally – governments across the Indo-Pacific, and partners, needed to work together to confront this challenge. Cyber security partnerships were critical to overall security.
The conversation also traversed US-Australia collaboration on the renewable energy transition, Western Australia’s role in this transition with its critical minerals endowment, and the importance of economic diversification. For Australia and the US, the AUKUS agreement offered huge opportunities to build technological and strategic cooperation.
The discussion was attended by members of the defence community, academics, and private sector representatives covering cyber and technology.