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Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?Author: Ray Powell & Jim Carouso
Chart the world's new strategic crossroads. Join co-hosts Ray Powell, a 35-year U.S. Air Force veteran and Director of the celebrated SeaLight maritime transparency project, and Jim Carouso, a senior U.S. diplomat and strategic advisor, for your essential weekly briefing on the Indo-Pacific. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground military and diplomatic experience, they deliver unparalleled insights into the forces shaping the 21st century.From the U.S.-China strategic competition to the flashpoints of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, we cut through the noise with practical, practitioner-focused analysis. Each episode goes deep on the region's most critical geopolitical, economic and security issues.We bring you conversations with the leaders and experts shaping policy, featuring some of the world's most influential voices, including:Senior government officials and ambassadorsDefense secretaries, national security advisors and four-star military officersLegislators and top regional specialistsC-suite business leadersThis podcast is your indispensable resource for understanding the complexities of alliances and regional groupings like AUKUS, ASEAN and the Quad; the strategic shifts of major powers like the U.S., China, Japan and India; and emerging challenges from economic statecraft to regional security.If you are a foreign policy professional, business leader, scholar, or a citizen seeking to understand the dynamics of global power, this podcast provides the context you need.Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or your favorite platform.Produced by Ian Ellis-Jones and IEJ Media. Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, helping clients navigate the worlds most complex and dynamic markets. Language: en Genres: Government, News, News Commentary Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Why Should We Care About Australia’s Big Economic Bet on Southeast Asia? | with Nicholas Moore
Episode 139
Friday, 3 April, 2026
In Ep. 139, Ray Powell, Jim Carouso and guest co-host Nydia Ngiow of BowerGroupAsia sit down with Sir Nicholas Moore, the former Macquarie Group CEO who authored Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 - the landmark report designed to expand Australian trade and investment across ASEAN.Sir Nicholas explains why Australian companies have historically overlooked Southeast Asia in favor of North America and Europe, even as the region’s economies grow at 5-7% annually. He reveals that 50 of the report’s 75 recommendations have already been acted upon by six Australian government ministries, signaling serious political commitment from the top.The conversation covers the 10 priority sectors identified in the strategy, including education, green energy, infrastructure, digital economy, agriculture and mining, with Moore highlighting examples like Australian universities establishing campuses across Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, and deal teams in Jakarta, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City helping investors navigate unfamiliar markets.Nydia brings the Southeast Asian perspective, probing how new trade agreements between Indonesia and the EU, Canada and the US could affect Australia’s competitive position, and what Australia needs to do domestically, including streamlining its Foreign Investment Review Board, to attract more inbound ASEAN investment.The discussion turns to the bigger geopolitical picture: China’s export surge into Southeast Asia, US tariff disruptions and the “China plus one” diversification trend that accelerated after COVID. Sir Nicholas offers a notably calm take on US tariffs, comparing their effect to a goods and services tax and suggesting the impact on ASEAN economies may be manageable. He closes by praising Southeast Asian governments’ flexibility and adaptability in responding to shifting global trade dynamics.Essential listening for anyone tracking Indo-Pacific economic integration, ASEAN investment opportunities, Australia-Southeast Asia relations, US-China trade competition, and supply chain diversification in the region.👉 Follow us on X, @IndoPacPodcast, LinkedIn, or Facebook👉 Follow Ray Powell on X, @GordianKnotRay, or LinkedIn, or check out his maritime transparency work at SeaLight👉 Follow Jim Carouso on LinkedIn👉 Sponsored by BowerGroupAsia, a strategic advisory firm that specializes in the Indo-Pacific
