31 Jul 2020
Book review: Superpower showdown
The fraught relationship between the United States and China is set to deteriorate further.
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31 Jul 2020
US–South Korea: Working group blues
Has Washington effectively set up a veto over Moon Jae-in’s efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang? -
30 Jul 2020
Which side would the US public choose in an India-China conflict?
As American attitudes towards China sour, India, as a fellow democracy, doesn’t appear to automatically benefit. -
29 Jul 2020
American carnage, take two
Covid-19 is a loser. Donald Trump is banking on civil unrest in America’s cities to drum up fear – and votes. -
28 Jul 2020
On China, the US speaks loudly but carries no stick
A flurry of bombastic rhetoric targeting Beijing puts pressure on allies and also fits Trump’s re-election strategy. -
28 Jul 2020
UN report on US killing of Iranian commander misses the mark
The drone strike on Qasem Soleimani was unlawful, the report finds, but weak analysis undercuts its conclusion. -
27 Jul 2020
Five Eyes: Blurring the lines between intelligence and policy
Intelligence sharing is one thing. Aligning policy with the same brand risks making too exclusive a grouping. -
27 Jul 2020
Turkey: Not a team player
A nationalist bent at home and provocations abroad have frayed ties with Europe, and maybe soon the US, too. -
25 Jul 2020
Australia lays down the law in the South China Sea dispute
Canberra rejects the PRC’s “historic rights” claim to contested waters but now faces the test of what to do about it. -
24 Jul 2020
China’s catastrophic success: US strategic blunders fuel rivalry
Deepening enmity could amplify Beijing’s assessment that Washington may pursue the overthrow of the CCP as an end goal. -
22 Jul 2020
Interesting times for TikTok
The debate over banning the social media app hits on big issues of tech, trade and sovereignty. -
21 Jul 2020
Writing off Trump
A testy interview puts the spotlight on the President – but do the facts matter? -
17 Jul 2020
COVIDcast: Malcolm Turnbull on geopolitics and the pandemic
The latest episode in a podcast to discuss the implications of coronavirus for Australia, the region and the world. -
17 Jul 2020
The kind of test the world doesn’t need
Even if merely talk, speculation about the US resuming nuclear weapons tests could needlessly spark bigger problems. -
15 Jul 2020
America’s summertime blues
Covid-19, the George Floyd killing and three years of Donald Trump have left people exhausted. But an election is near. -
15 Jul 2020
Decolonise Diego Garcia: Why America should not fear Mauritius
Only a deal with Port Louis can put the future of the US base beyond question and preserve a crucial staging post. -
14 Jul 2020
Putting study abroad on ice carries a diplomatic cost
The benefits of international education come from cultural capital and influence – Covid-19 is putting these at risk. -
10 Jul 2020
Keeping the Kremlin in the Kelvinator
A flurry of enthusiasm to re-engage Russia speaks more to Western insecurities than future power dynamics in East Asia. -
9 Jul 2020
The semiconductor industry is where politics gets real for Taiwan
These tiny strategic products can profoundly change the world as the US and China fight over the brains of electronics. -
1 Jul 2020
Canada won’t fall for China’s hostage diplomacy
Releasing Meng Wanzhou wouldn’t raise Canada’s standing with China. Worse, it would betray its closest partner. -
1 Jul 2020
After ASEAN summit, little change on the South China Sea
Despite expectations leaders might collectively rebuke China for its latest actions, the message was more uncertain. -
26 Jun 2020
Vale Owen Harries 1930–2020
With admirable chutzpah, Owen believed he could influence the international relations of the most powerful country. -
26 Jun 2020
Finding compromise in the Chagos Islands saga
The US base on Diego Garcia needn’t be an obstacle to a negotiated settlement of a longstanding sovereignty dispute. -
23 Jun 2020
Can inter-Korean peace be salvaged from the latest wreckage?
Mismatched expectations pose a big problem on the peninsula. -
18 Jun 2020
Need To Know: Ed Davis on US policing and Black Lives Matter
Many community-minded police leaders complain they are deputised to enforce society’s failures and unfair structures. -
17 Jun 2020
Canberra vs Beijing: A reply to Alan Dupont
We can’t base plans for the future on a chance China may fail. We are yet to internalise how successful it may be. -
16 Jun 2020
The geopolitical consequences of a pandemic
A global system in flux – from the US to Hong Kong, in politics as much as the economy – ultimately needs leadership. -
15 Jun 2020
Disruption or demands? US post-election foreign policy in Asia
While the re-election of an incumbent may prove strangely turbulent, a new president could bring different burdens. -
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9 Jun 2020
The case for Australian strategic ambiguity
Loyalty has its place. But being a more uncertain ally can make you a better friend. -
6 Jun 2020
In the US, a week of protests and a tidal wave of history
The killing of George Floyd snapped America awake to racism – again. The problem runs deeper than a rogue president. -
4 Jun 2020
US: Powerful unions protect police – from reform
Changes to police culture have been obstructed by police unions who are often more powerful than police chiefs. -
3 Jun 2020
US break with WHO: Where does it leave the rest of the world?
Honest assessment of the Covid-19 response will require cooperation from all member states. There is no alternative. -
2 Jun 2020
Who really killed the Quad 1.0?
Australia has borne the blame for sinking the first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. The history is not so simple. -
1 Jun 2020
Need To Know: Brett McGurk on America’s strategy to defeat ISIS
In a new interview series, the former US special envoy discusses conflict in Syria and maximalist foreign policy goals. -
31 May 2020
A G7+?
Donald Trump’s offer to bring Australia into the G7 isn’t nearly so simple as pulling up a chair to the top table. -
31 May 2020
Playing Monopoly in space
Privatising astronaut launches was only one objective of the latest venture beyond the atmosphere. -
29 May 2020
The Trump card in the Sino-Indian rivalry?
The US President’s offer to mediate a “big conflict” at Ladakh is a little more public than India is used to. -
26 May 2020
Mauritius, Diego Garcia and the small matter of nukes
Mauritius can’t have sovereignty over the Chagos and US nuclear weapons housed on Diego Garcia. Or can it? -
22 May 2020
The battle for a Covid vaccine risks losing the “war”
A quest to find the “magic bullet” is drawing dangerous political lines. Without cooperation, nobody wins. -
19 May 2020
Diego Garcia: An American perspective
A bid by Mauritius to claim the Chagos Archipelago puts the future of the base in question. Does the US have an answer? -
13 May 2020
America’s rudderless Covid response
State and local officials have acted effectively to address the crisis, but they’re on their own, with no end in sight. -
12 May 2020
For Australia, a testing friendship
It’s not a question for polite conversation, but PMs will always wonder, just how reliable is Australia’s big ally? -
12 May 2020
Breaking with intelligence: Trump and the case of pandemic blame
Spurious virus claims are not a case of history repeating. Rather, it’s policy that ignores intelligence altogether. -
11 May 2020
Weight on the scales
Middle powers might seek to balance the US and China, but inevitably their own actions change the equation. -
7 May 2020
Wuhan lab claims: Is Australia questioning China? Or the US? Both?
Leaked claims, supposed intelligence dossiers, angry outbursts. Lowy experts look to make sense of a Covid controversy. -
7 May 2020
With US Afghan exit, Russia eyes Central Asian security
An unstable Afghanistan threatens all kinds of trouble for its neighbours. For Russia, it may be a golden opportunity. -
6 May 2020
Beyond Covid, might China overreach?
The virus has further complicated US-China ties, as both nibble away the bonds of multilateralism. -
6 May 2020
Discontinued: America’s Continuous Bomber Presence
Ending a long-standing program, the US shows its commitment to defending friends in the Western Pacific is on the wane. -
5 May 2020
Who would Beijing prefer wins in November?
China looms over American politics, yet while bilateral ties are straining, a new president might not be welcome news.