11 Nov 2022
North Korea: unpredictably predictable
The rationale behind Pyongyang’s provocative missile launches may not be as menacing as it appears.
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10 Nov 2022
In defence of Indian women celebrities
How a country is presented globally – and by whom – carries an enduring cultural and political influence. -
10 Nov 2022
Nationalist propaganda at a screen near you
Recent cinematic offerings from the United States, China and India are straight out of the central casting handbook. -
10 Nov 2022
Battle for Chagos
A dispute over sovereignty in the Indian Ocean tracks Britain’s dwindling empire and the path of international law. -
9 Nov 2022
An explanation for the decline of China’s aid in the Pacific
A drop in Chinese funding may be a sign of belt tightening in an effort to tackle Beijing’s own domestic debt problem. -
9 Nov 2022
Countdown to Asia’s summit season
Conflict in Myanmar and Ukraine against a backdrop of US‑China tension – a crowded agenda will unfold in coming weeks. -
9 Nov 2022
Climate change: governance on the highway to hell
If wealthy states can’t agree on compensating the world’s most environmentally ravaged, things are looking grim. -
8 Nov 2022
How China, India and Bangladesh could be drawn into Myanmar’s conflict
Rakhine state has become a de facto battleground for the competing interests of Beijing, Delhi and Dhaka. -
8 Nov 2022
COP out: Should Albanese be in Egypt? And what about APEC? G20? EAS?
The demands on leaders in global diplomacy have only grown but that hasn’t made negotiations more meaningful. -
7 Nov 2022
Australia and B‑21 bombers: less bang for the buck
It’s an expensive habit to think about the military not as a practical tool but as a symbol of strategic intent. -
7 Nov 2022
Party politics in Papua New Guinea
While the machinations might appear incomprehensible, some trends can be detected in PNG’s complicated party system. -
4 Nov 2022
Solutions to the North Korea issue no longer include denuclearisation
A minimalist approach based on arms control, risk reduction and deterrence is what’s needed right now on the Peninsula. -
4 Nov 2022
The real message B‑52s send from northern Australia
Given distances and demands on crew and aircraft, a US bomber fleet near Darwin amounts to only modest change. -
3 Nov 2022
Make or break: Scholz’ Beijing business
What happens in Europe won’t stay in Europe. Rifts on China risk common understanding with partners, Australia included. -
3 Nov 2022
Ashmore Reef resurfaces as a maritime headache
A loose arrangement between Australia and Indonesia over the uninhabited islands is set to become a little less loose. -
3 Nov 2022
Economic diplomacy: Searching for APEC
APEC faces some new competition as Australia considers the sovereign risks involved in reducing domestic gas prices. -
3 Nov 2022
Risks and responses repatriating foreign terrorist fighters and families
Australia is bringing home families that lived under Islamic State, and experience overseas offers valuable lessons. -
2 Nov 2022
Where does Australia’s new aid budget leave gender equality?
Gender equality is not just an “add-on”, it is essential to a functioning society. Funding must reflect that. -
2 Nov 2022
B-52 bombers only part of a very long Australian story
A revamp of RAAF Tindal for the nuclear-capable aircraft creates opportunities well beyond military confidence building. -
2 Nov 2022
Australia must help turn back a regional democratic retreat
With only half the Indo-Pacific a democracy, a collective approach is needed to bolster critical institutions. -
2 Nov 2022
Can the UK stop the boats?
Attempting to mimic the Australian model ignores the striking differences that confront post-Brexit Britain. -
31 Oct 2022
From Jakarta to Nusantara: making sense of Indonesia’s capital shift
Beyond escaping floods and crowds, the location of the new capital will have economic and geopolitical ramifications. -
31 Oct 2022
By the numbers: Papua New Guinea and development funding
Australian funding to its Pacific neighbour outstripped the region’s major partners by four to one during the pandemic. -
31 Oct 2022
Overcoming suspicion: reconciliation for Australia and Bougainville
The angry reaction to Richard Marles’ comments should be a warning to Canberra about the need to settle past grievances. -
31 Oct 2022
China’s influence as a Pacific donor
Beijing has taken steps to increase its influence in the island region at the same time as its aid levels decline. -
30 Oct 2022
Where the buck stops: aid in Fiji
The development funding arena in the Pacific is a crowded space. But local actors are often forced to take back seat. -
28 Oct 2022
The war in Ukraine: implications for Asia
Win, lose or draw in Russia’s bold attack, the Indo-Pacific may be the new frontier for autocracies to test their limits. -
27 Oct 2022
The remote Marshall Islands complicate US Pacific policy
A sand-rimmed paradise with a long nuclear history has a surprising amount of clout in the Washington vs Beijing game. -
27 Oct 2022
Even now, standing supreme, Xi has limits to his power
The very loyalists that have facilitated Xi’s rise could yet provide a constraint to his ambition. -
26 Oct 2022
A day at the (Beirut) races
Spring carnival it’s not, but even amid chaos, the competitive spirit can find an outlet. -
26 Oct 2022
PNG: Climate action, social change and a minister for coffee
A unique Arabica crop has the potential to improve women’s financial inclusion and climate change all at once. -
25 Oct 2022
Australia’s shared security in the Indian Ocean
As two littoral states with significant sway, Australia and India can act as a conduit to link regional groupings. -
25 Oct 2022
After West Jerusalem shift, will Labor also turn on Israel at the UN?
Far from advancing the cause of peace, the government risks separating Australia’s position from its closest friends. -
25 Oct 2022
Jerusalem, the rules-based order and deal-making
Australia's interests – near and far – are best served by consistent support for an effective multilateral system. -
25 Oct 2022
The Korean Peninsula still poses major risks
Escalating tensions and vicious cycles. We’ve heard this story before. That doesn’t make the situation less dangerous. -
24 Oct 2022
Where the chips fall: in containing China, the US can leave Australia out
Australia’s interest won’t be served by supporting US efforts to build a high fence around China’s technology industry. -
24 Oct 2022
Australia’s road to Geneva
The League of Nations gave delegates from the antipodes a taste for progressive internationalism that remains today. -
24 Oct 2022
US midterms: How Republican wins (or losses) could shape Asia policy
A form guide to the key races that will determine what role Republicans play in the US approach to regional challenges. -
21 Oct 2022
Waiting for the thaw: the Pacific hopeful on Australia-China reset
The island countries stand to benefit from any improvement in relations between two big development partners. -
20 Oct 2022
Supporting democracy without fighting autocracies
A binary Australian foreign policy isn’t on the cards. Engagement is still the best way to support regional democracy. -
20 Oct 2022
Economic diplomacy: The IMF faces a US$ reality check
The Bretton Woods institutions may face existential challenges from the decoupling of the United States and China. -
20 Oct 2022
China: Xi, the Party, and the endless struggle
The latest national congress declares ambition for the people central to all reforms – with the Party’s guiding hand. -
19 Oct 2022
Competing and cooperating: the paradox in US strategy
The new National Security Strategy at least acknowledges the shape of the problem even if not yet providing an answer. -
19 Oct 2022
The banality of Putin’s evil
Putin is driven by the imperatives of regime security – preserving his kleptocratic rule – not national security. -
18 Oct 2022
Development finance – how much, done how?
Identifying institutional options for infrastructure finance in the Asia Pacific. -
18 Oct 2022
Will the three Ts tie India and Taiwan?
If New Delhi wants Taipei to help build supply chain security, it should expect Taiwan to ask for more political support. -
17 Oct 2022
Under pressure: the present and future of international order
The order fashioned for the 80 years since the Second World War has been far better than the 30 years before it. -
17 Oct 2022
Could China save the world?
It is difficult to imagine Xi Jinping brokering peace in Ukraine, but if China wants to be respected, this is a chance. -
14 Oct 2022
Can China build a “community” for shared oceans?
Amiable talk about safeguarding partners and protecting marine environment hasn’t allayed suspicions. -
14 Oct 2022
The good oil: Israel and Lebanon strike a border deal
In a region where good news is rare, patient diplomacy can celebrate a win.