Power and Order, Peace and War: lessons for Asia from 1914-1918

War was not inevitable in Europe in 1914, and it is not inevitable in Asia today. But war happened in Europe because the Europeans failed to conceive a new international order to reflect radical shifts in the distribution of wealth and power. And war will become more likely in Asia if regional powers fail in the same way to imagine a new regional order which fits the fast-changing realities of power there. How might such a new order look, and how could it be built?

Hugh White is a Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University. Previously he held senior official positions in the Australian Government. His recent publications include "Power Shift: Australia’s future between Washington and Beijing," (2010) and "The China Choice: Why America should share power" (2012).