This collection of papers comes for a major international conference on Indo-Pacific maritime security convened by the NSC in March 2016.

The Indo-Pacific is becoming widely recognised as the global centre of gravity, whether in terms of economic interaction, demographics, transnational security challenges or the strategic balance.

This is Australia’s region; but it is also a vast maritime zone where the interests of many players are engaged. These powers include China, India, Japan and the United States, but also medium and smaller powers, including Australia and Indonesia.

There are also additional stakeholders from beyond the region, including in Europe. The Indo-Pacific sea-lanes, after all, are becoming the world’s principal highways for energy and commerce.

Although the conference placed particular emphasis on the ways in which Australia and Japan could deepen their security partnership, there is thoughtful input by experts and policy practitioners from Indonesia, China, India and the United States.

This is a rich resource for anyone interested in maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and the future of the maritime domain.

This volume collects the papers into several key themes:

1. The emerging concept of the Indo-Pacific
2. New dimensions in Australia-Japan maritime security cooperation
3. Managing maritime tensions in the East and South China Seas
4. The potential for cooperation in transnational security issues
5. The role of Japan in the Indian Ocean
6. Emerging maritime security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.