Chicago Council on Global Affairs Webinar

On 19 May 2021, the Perth USAsia Centre and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs were delighted to host a webinar on their report Preventing Nuclear Proliferation and Reassuring America’s Allies.

In recent years, the credibility of the American nuclear guarantee has come under question as successive US administration have attempted to retreat from global commitments. The growing military threats from a rising China and a nuclear North Korea have been cause for concern for US allies in the Indo-Pacific, leaving countries uncertain whether they can still rely on the US for their defence and security.

Authored by Chuck Hagel, former US Secretary of Defense, Malcolm Rifking, former UK Foreign Secretary and Secretary of Defence, Kevin Rudd, Former Australian Prime Minister and Ivo Daalder, former US Ambassador to NATO, this Chicago Council of Global Affairs report examines how fraying American alliances and a rapidly changing security environment have shaken America’s nuclear security guarantees and threaten the 50-year-old nuclear non-proliferation regime.

A panel of experts joined us to discuss the findings of this report, US strategic commitment to the region under the new Biden Administration and how this will affect Australia and other US allies in the Indo-Pacific.

Panelists were as follows:

• Ivo Daalder, Former US Ambassador to NATO and Chicago Council on Global Affairs President
• Professor L. Gordon Flake, CEO, Perth USAsia Centre
• Ms Amanda Gorely, Australian Ambassador for Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation
• Dr Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy, American Enterprise Institute
• Professor Stephen Smith, Former Australian Foreign Minister and Defence Minister