Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.Credit:Brook Mitchell
That is a group of nations banding together to offset – or balance against – the power of an overwhelmingly strong state.
The white paper doesn't actually say that Australia and other regional countries should combine to balance against China's growing might.
But that's the clear implication. And there is a second breakthrough concept. It's that Australia needs to act without waiting for America.
This is a policy for a country that has decided that the US cannot be relied upon to protect the regional order.