31 May 2022
Multilateralism matters again
The world’s big challenges – and main priorities for Australia – are best tackled by cooperation.
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31 May 2022
Japan-Australia: building a hydrogen supply chain
Efforts to develop a network for cleaner energy in the Indo-Pacific marks a practical step for closer relations. -
30 May 2022
Would China? Australia’s chance to back women police in the Pacific
Promoting gender equality and enhancing maritime law enforcement will ensure Australia stands apart. -
30 May 2022
Australia can’t stay silent on decolonisation in the Pacific
As Canberra and Paris repair ties, presenting France as a “Pacific country” would undermine regional independence. -
27 May 2022
Labor’s Pacific plan: ticking the economic box
Tightening up on fees charged for remittances will ensure millions of dollars get to households across the region. -
26 May 2022
“Black ships”, the Quad and space
Satellite technology underpins the attempt to tackle China’s illegal fishing. -
26 May 2022
Albanese steps cautiously through the Quad wrangle
Japan’s media enthusiastically covered the “diplomatic debut” of Australia’s new PM, expecting continuity over change. -
26 May 2022
Where to for trade policy?
Australia is building the micro foundations for global cooperation. -
25 May 2022
Australia enters the post-party phase of Western democracy
Get used to governing with wafer-thin majorities or as a minority. -
24 May 2022
Engaging with Southeast Asia: more than aid
The sentiment is right, Australia needs to strengthen ties with the region. But don’t rely on aid to deliver. -
24 May 2022
Rejuvenating DFAT: increasing diversity and becoming less insular
Harnessing the experience and skills of the entire Australian community is the foundation for strong diplomacy. -
24 May 2022
Why the Middle East matters to Australia
The region may not dominate in the way Southeast Asia or the Pacific does at present, but it has before and can again. -
23 May 2022
PNG and the Solomon Islands-China security agreement
While respecting Solomon Islands sovereignty, regional solutions to regional problems are not yet fully exhausted. -
20 May 2022
A strategy for uncertain times
Is a case-by-case approach good enough for Australia to respond to the great and developing regional challenges? -
19 May 2022
Looking for a little sizzle from the 2022 election campaign
As one of the world’s oldest stable democracies, Australia can do better in its election foreign policy discussion. -
19 May 2022
Getting the most from Australia’s regional engagements
As in-person meetings restart after Covid, it’s time to assess what resources support the many strategic groupings. -
18 May 2022
A required update for the EU-US Trade and Tech Council
As authoritarian challenges loom, more transatlantic cooperation on technology should be welcome news for Australia. -
17 May 2022
What went wrong? How Morrison lost control of the khaki election
A government determined to make national security a central campaign issue fell into the trap of fighting the last war. -
17 May 2022
No Gas: Lessons from Poland and Bulgaria for the Quad
The risk of disrupted energy supplies is not only in Europe but a danger in the Indo-Pacific, too. -
17 May 2022
AUKUS: More than meets the eye
A series of small, overlapping initiatives are combining to bolster the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific. -
12 May 2022
Bell teals for big parties in Australia’s election
The traditional two-party political cycle is being disrupted by the rise of independent candidates from right and left. -
11 May 2022
The case for rejuvenating DFAT
Foreign ministries no longer monopolise a country’s global voice. But some practical fine tuning will enhance diplomacy. -
10 May 2022
Chinese bases in the Pacific: A reality check
Frustrating Beijing’s ambitions to create a sphere of influence is overwhelmingly a diplomatic task, not a military one. -
5 May 2022
Economic diplomacy: Trade shifts challenge a new government
“Friendshoring” offers a half-way house between reshoring production and diversifying markets in a deglobalising world. -
5 May 2022
Scott Morrison wins. So where to next for Australia in the world?
A returned Coalition government faces immediate headaches (and opportunities) in its foreign policy. -
5 May 2022
Energy security: Embracing technological neutrality
Governments should set but not dictate energy standards. That includes allowing nuclear back on the negotiation table. -
3 May 2022
Imagining Labor’s first 100 days in foreign policy
It’s 22 May. And although Anthony Albanese is yet to get his feet under the desk, priorities are already piling up. -
2 May 2022
Solomon Islands-China security pact: A feminist foreign policy answer
For Australia to change the game in regional relations, it needs to grapple with new rules about systems of power. -
22 Apr 2022
Solomons: How Australia stacks up in a China aid bidding war
Lowy Institute’s Pacific Aid Map reveals the true scope of Australia’s development assistance to the region. -
21 Apr 2022
Solomons security pact: Sogavare, China, and Australia
There is no shutting China out of the South Pacific, but if Australia gets real on climate the game will truly change. -
21 Apr 2022
A first for India and a chance to trade up with Australia
The new trade deal should be a stepping stone for the two countries to make their economic partnership comprehensive. -
13 Apr 2022
Time to think big on the future of Australian diplomacy
A good start would put the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the centre of decision-making and coordination. -
11 Apr 2022
Does Australia have too many elections?
Governments might worry about short-term political horizons. But have faith the public can judge the long-term risks. -
7 Apr 2022
Economic diplomacy: Priorities shift amid a budget aid boost
The IMF has given Chinese spending a tick as Australia tries to muscle up in the Pacific. -
7 Apr 2022
Five key findings from the Being Chinese in Australia survey
The latest Lowy survey of Chinese-Australians captures views on belonging, trust, strategic competition, Covid and more. -
4 Apr 2022
AUKUS can be a good platform for cooperation with India
And it wouldn’t be the first time the partners had worked together, either. -
30 Mar 2022
A silver lining to DFAT’s budgetary woes
A funding boost to diplomacy won’t instantly lift Australia’s influence. Better to think hard on what the country needs. -
29 Mar 2022
Changing our view of Pacific visas
Australia’s claims to be part of the “Pacific family” would be helped by more migration options – especially for women. -
25 Mar 2022
Solomons: Putting a draft security deal with China in local context
Honiara’s negotiations with Beijing may raise alarm but it should not come as a surprise to Canberra. -
23 Mar 2022
Trade policy agenda facing new drivers
More than ever, Australia’s national security and economic resilience goals need integrating with smart trade policy. -
21 Mar 2022
Does the Quad Plus add up?
The four-way security group should walk its talk about an inclusive region by stepping up dialogue with other countries. -
18 Mar 2022
The end of Antarctic exceptionalism?
Plunging Russia into the diplomatic deep freeze has implications far beyond Europe on cooperation over global commons. -
17 Mar 2022
We need to stop talking about the grey zone
And instead learn more about the many measures short of war. -
15 Mar 2022
Common enemies and instinctive friends
Presenting the world as one of binary choices can undermine good policymaking. -
15 Mar 2022
An agenda for aid and development in the 2022 federal election
Australia needs a debate about strategy, budget and capability to best use all aspects of national power – aid included. -
10 Mar 2022
Economic diplomacy: Building back better with frenemies after Ukraine
Foreign policy concepts are subtly infiltrating Australia’s federal election campaign in the shadow of an invasion. -
8 Mar 2022
The Ukraine crisis, feminism and Australia’s foreign policy
There’s a reason why gender inequality and state conflict go hand in hand, a denial of which erodes democracy. -
7 Mar 2022
Australian republicanism poses difficult foreign policy questions
In the recently proposed model, a mandate from the head of state would override the prime minister. That’s a problem. -
4 Mar 2022
Back in the USSR – surprises in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
It’d be funny, if it wasn’t so deadly serious. -
3 Mar 2022
Australia and the crisis in Europe: threats and opportunities
A global contest of values and interests – and sharply divergent visions of order - is now dramatically intensified.