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The article reports on the 2016 Australia's Defense White Paper released in February 2016 which supports the assertion that the future of Australian Defence Force will be more capable of operations to deter and defeat threats to Australia. Topics include the promise to raise defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product, anxieties about the rise of China, and the issue of China's centrality to Australia's future.

The article focuses on the Australian Government's 2013 Defense White Paper which states that if the U.S. is rebalancing, then so is Australia. It mentions that the white paper describes military modernization in China and growing defense capabilities as "natural" and "legitimate" outcomes of China's economic growth.

The article discusses the approval given by the Japanese government to its annual defense white paper, "Defense of Japan 2007." The report identifies North Korea and China as Japan's primary strategic concerns while reaffirming its alliance with the U.S. The white paper also emphasizes the commitment of Japan to international peacekeeping and its intent to keep defense spending slightly below 1 percent of its gross domestic product.

The article discusses China's white paper on national defense that was published on December 29, 2007. In the paper, the authors attribute increases in China's defense spending primarily to the steady growth of the country's economy, which has allowed for expensive improvements in troop pay and living conditions. They also stress China's need to keep pace with other countries, particularly major powers, which are upgrading their own militaries.

The article reports on the concerns regarding China's growing demand for oil and gas. It is noted that each year since the early 1990s, China has been consuming more energy to fuel its fast-growing economy. The Chinese government is drafting what it calls a white paper that will spell out to the world its strategy for continued 10 percent annual growth without vacuuming up the earth's resources. Commodities specialist John Rogers notes the volume of China's feedstock needs has a knock-on effect globally.