12 Apr 2021
Covid recovery, in Australia and the world
Drawing from his new Lowy Institute Paper, John Edwards looks at the fallout of the pandemic and where things are going.
-
-
9 Apr 2021
Economic diplomacy: Global tax, education exports and Team Australia
Levelling the field with a global minimum tax, rethinking student fee revenue, and getting APEC back in the room. -
1 Apr 2021
Closer Taiwan-US ties are stabilising the region, not the opposite
Displays of solidarity for Taiwan won’t contain Beijing’s ambition, but US support must factor in its thinking. -
31 Mar 2021
Washington risks an unsustainable climate policy
Tense talks between the US and China in Alaska Summit showed that collaboration on global challenges is fraught. -
30 Mar 2021
America’s border crisis: Good intentions go south
A surge of migrants seeking to cross the border might be the moment noble ideals and political realities collide. -
30 Mar 2021
Taking the measure of prejudice in a pandemic
Has Covid-19 heightened anti-Asian bias in Australia? A new survey shows some worrying signs. -
29 Mar 2021
An interim government would bring ruin to Afghanistan
A US proposal to dissolve the Afghan administration risks a tragic repeat of the past. -
29 Mar 2021
Unresolved questions in US-India relations
Washington has signalled a desire for closer ties with New Delhi, but major challenges are yet to be answered. -
22 Mar 2021
North Korea and Malaysia’s predictable diplomatic divorce
Pyongyang is sending a message in typically overbearing style. But the target is as much the US as it is Malaysia. -
17 Mar 2021
The US and the Rules-Based Order: Testing the plan
A frank new guidance document shows that in directing his foreign policy, Joe Biden still has to resolve means and ends. -
16 Mar 2021
The Quad gives a boost to India’s vaccine diplomacy
Countering China’s influence is one thing. But fostering regional cooperation plays to the strengths of the grouping. -
16 Mar 2021
Troubles ahead for the US–South Korea alliance
Biden’s efforts to nudge Seoul into the Quad may be self-defeating unless Moon Jae-in’s North Korea hopes are engaged. -
15 Mar 2021
A new “concert” to govern the Indo-Pacific
For Quad leaders emphasising an “inclusive” region, there may be a ready-made example for involving China. -
12 Mar 2021
A smarter use of voting technology to stop election-related violence
Maybe in the search for efficiency we sometimes overcomplicate things, and the better solution is to get back to basics. -
25 Feb 2021
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Ensuring a consistent approach to the “rules” would make it that much harder for China to break them. -
23 Feb 2021
Afghanistan: To leave or not to leave
Under the Doha deal, US forces are meant to be out of the country in mere weeks. Either way, peace appears far off. -
23 Feb 2021
Democracy vs autocracy: Biden’s “inflection point”
If this really is a new Cold War, it’s off to a slow start. -
16 Feb 2021
What Biden means for Australia’s aid policy
The US president has signalled a serious commitment to bolstering international development. -
15 Feb 2021
The power of example: America’s presence in Diego Garcia
US claims to upholding the rules-based order don’t square with its silence on Mauritian sovereignty in the Chagos. -
5 Feb 2021
What does America think the rules-based order is for?
The US is in a defensive crouch rather than in an expansionary mood. But bring on debate. -
3 Feb 2021
Macron and Biden: “Friends, allied, but not aligned”
After the tests of Donald Trump, the French president has flagged he will be a demanding partner for America. -
2 Feb 2021
Syrian stasis
Washington isn’t likely to pay much attention to the Syria conflict – and nothing much will change. -
28 Jan 2021
Making America govern again
Joe Biden, an old hand in the Senate, brings a unique perspective on the presidency, and a renewed sense of possibility. -
27 Jan 2021
Sovereignty and sensibility: What now for US-Mexico relations?
Mexico’s president developed a surprisingly cosy relationship with Donald Trump, but those days are over. -
25 Jan 2021
The US and the next leader of the OECD
Australia’s candidate for Secretary-General is a favourable contender, but American backing is still up in the air. -
22 Jan 2021
Russia-US relations in 2021: Key things to watch out for
For all the talk of China, the Russia factor is still a huge challenge for the Biden administration. -
21 Jan 2021
A “No-First-Use” doctrine would undermine American nuclear deterrence
And Australia should make clear to the Biden administration any such commitment is not in the interests of allies. -
20 Jan 2021
Iran nuclear deal: Revenge of the diplomats
Re-negotiations with Tehran will be a fascinating guide to how a Biden administration deals with Middle East challenges. -
19 Jan 2021
Why Twitter was right to dump Trump
A free speech attack? No, if losing access is a blow, it’s because Trump relied on social media too much for too long. -
19 Jan 2021
Australia’s Pacific Step-up and the Quad
The four nations should take the chance to draw together a group of common initiatives in the Pacific islands region. -
18 Jan 2021
When a pigeon’s supposed feat evokes a birdbrained response
A “biosecurity” threat to Australia’s strict quarantine system sends the nation all a flutter. -
14 Jan 2021
America’s troubles ahead in the Asia-Pacific
A US return to multilateralism can’t reverse a shifting strategic landscape and the fallout of domestic strife. -
13 Jan 2021
Why North Korea wants an arms control deal with the United States
Arms control might sound more appealing than tried-and-failed denuclearisation agreements – but it carries costs, too. -
12 Jan 2021
America’s fantasy hero
Donald Trump’s “reality” does not have to be real, it’s enough to persistently claim and act as though it is. -
28 Dec 2020
Interpreting the 2020 US presidential election
In a year of horrible uncertainty, the political future of a superpower was a big question mark. -
18 Dec 2020
Washington’s warped Asia policy debate
Whoever Joe Biden puts into key positions, best they make quick studies on regional dynamics. -
17 Dec 2020
Favourites of 2020: Evil Geniuses
Creating an American dystopia took planners, architects and salesmen. How did they get away with it? -
17 Dec 2020
When China lashed out
Lessons of the past are too readily overlooked. But Australia has walked a tightrope between clashing giants before. -
11 Dec 2020
Joe Biden’s Pentagon pick sends a message
The choice of Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary singles out someone who could help end America’s “forever wars”. -
10 Dec 2020
Where America finds itself
With Trump on the way out, from the White House at least, there is perhaps a chance to get serious for a moment. -
8 Dec 2020
Favourites of 2020: The politics of Tiger King
An absurd insight? Dishonesty, narcissism and the celebritisation of politics do sound awfully familiar. -
2 Dec 2020
The surprise of Biden
Written off before he improbably rose to the top, Joe Biden may have the right stuff to lead America through a crisis. -
30 Nov 2020
Donald Trump vs the democratic tradition
By refusing to concede an election he has lost, the American president further undermines faith in the system. -
27 Nov 2020
Fareed Zakaria on Australia’s “opportunity” between the US and China
Inspiration from a tiny giant in Southeast Asia might help Australia find a way through multiple diplomatic obstacles. -
25 Nov 2020
A Biden presidency and US-Russia relations
The new US administration will certainly push back harder on the Kremlin, but there may also be chances for engagement. -
20 Nov 2020
Back to the future: Will Biden’s Asia policy come full circle?
Hopes might be high for a new US administration. But polls show views on regional challenges have changed markedly, too. -
18 Nov 2020
The Democrats’ voter problem
Scraping through what should have been an easy win highlights systemic issues. -
13 Nov 2020
Biden’s clean energy plan versus China’s green tech dominance
The US might be able to construct a clean-energy supply chain without relying on China, but it won’t be easy. -
11 Nov 2020
America’s divisions are real, and not going away
Yes, Joe Biden won the election. But Donald Trump got 71 million votes, this time running on his record. -
11 Nov 2020
Leading by example: Two different responses to China’s rise
South Korea and Australia share many traits but differ in one important respect – their responses to a rising China.