14 Aug 2020
Contemplating Kamala Harris
A discussion of US presidential candidate Joe Biden’s pick for vice-presidential running mate.
-
-
14 Aug 2020
World order in the time of coronavirus
Blame China and Russia. But the real cause of breakdown in the “rules-based international order” lies with the West. -
13 Aug 2020
Japan’s tech industry reboot will have region-wide effects
Japan can play a key role in digital debates facing democratic and authoritarian societies alike. -
13 Aug 2020
Economic diplomacy: A call to syringes, not arms
Australia looks to navigate a recession, global business faces routine disruptions, and war is cheaper than a pandemic. -
13 Aug 2020
The myth of Rodrigo Duterte’s “independent” foreign policy
By lashing the United States and drawing closer to China, the Philippines president has undermined his own goals. -
12 Aug 2020
In US election, no surprise, no mystery
The only real unknown is just how far Donald Trump will go to remain in office. -
12 Aug 2020
Afghanistan’s unseen Covid crisis
In a country familiar with tragedy, the pandemic is met with a dose of nonchalance. But the numbers keep going up. -
12 Aug 2020
China is overturning the rules-based order from within
By contesting basic principles of international law, China is doing far more damage than is often recognised. -
11 Aug 2020
US in Southeast Asia: Democracy is (sort of) out, deterrence is in
It would be a stretch for ASEAN members to march to the beat of Mike Pompeo’s democracy drums in confronting China. -
11 Aug 2020
Cambodia: Hard choices
Punishment for democratic backsliding might force Hun Sen’s government closer to China – but not without cost. -
11 Aug 2020
Chinese dams and the Mekong drought
The environmental impact of China’s dam building upstream is undeniable. The silence from some quarters is surprising. -
10 Aug 2020
What we have lost: International education and public diplomacy
Entangling universities with geopolitics can mean a bad student experience has a far broader cost. -
10 Aug 2020
Chinese trawlers in the Galapagos: The protection challenge
Locking off waters to protect biodiversity won’t work without recognising that fish don’t care for the lines on a map. -
10 Aug 2020
The most important American election ever?
Four more years of Trump would be simply catastrophic, not just for America but for the world. -
7 Aug 2020
Cyber sovereignty cuts both ways
China’s barricades against foreign tech helped its companies grow massive. Now they’re being blocked in other markets. -
7 Aug 2020
The Beirut explosion and the plight of Syrian refugees
The blast that killed over 100 and injured thousands is also a reminder of the fragile existence of millions. -
7 Aug 2020
A Chinese-built airport next door to a key Australia-US naval base?
Manus Island is a vital strategic location. Why is a Chinese company being paid to upgrade its airfield? -
7 Aug 2020
In the Philippines, a political dance around constitutional change
Quite literally a cha-cha. -
6 Aug 2020
A force to combat climate change?
The summer bushfires put Australia to the test. They also had future implications for the New Zealand Defence Force. -
6 Aug 2020
For all Marape’s achievements in PNG, the biggest challenges await
Unity and bipartisanship will be tested by a raft of growing health, social, economic and foreign policy challenges. -
6 Aug 2020
It’s always about the oil in the Middle East
Confused by regional dynamics? Look to the constants. -
5 Aug 2020
The invisible during the pandemic
Singapore’s thousands of migrant workers make up the bulk of Covid-19 cases in the city-state. -
5 Aug 2020
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Existing nuclear arms control deals are dead or dying, but that should not be an excuse to give up disarmament hopes. -
5 Aug 2020
The way to post-Covid recovery in the Indo-Pacific? Act now
If Australia wants to see future stability in the region, it needs to find ways to help today, not down the track. -
4 Aug 2020
Covid and crime: Twin tests for Papua New Guinea
An audacious drug smuggling attempt and a coronavirus outbreak put pressure on PNG’s police chief. -
4 Aug 2020
Defending Australia in a high-tech future
Australia must prioritise education and research, in science and humanities, too. Regional engagement may depend on it. -
4 Aug 2020
The Najib verdict and the test of Malaysia’s institutions
Tough punishment will be a deterrent only if paired with a credible threat of prosecution and impartial judgement. -
3 Aug 2020
Melbourne or Washington, all politics is local, again
Coping with the pandemic will be a long haul, not just for cities or countries, but for the world. -
3 Aug 2020
Under the influence: Peddling conspiracy in a pandemic
Lifestyle and wellness personalities are lending conspiracy theorists a glossy sheen, and not without danger. -
3 Aug 2020
Young Australians turn from the US towards Asia. And it isn’t Trump
Millennials don’t remember Washington behaving as a great power or helpful ally, so support for the alliance is waning. -
3 Aug 2020
Brunei, ASEAN and the South China Sea
A long-silent claimant has spoken, but will it be heard? -
31 Jul 2020
Book review: Superpower showdown
The fraught relationship between the United States and China is set to deteriorate further. -
31 Jul 2020
COVIDcast: Looking at China from the grassroots, with Dexter Roberts
The latest episode in a podcast to discuss the implications of coronavirus for Australia, the region, and the world. -
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
Economic diplomacy: Post-Covid trade, from decoupling to wet markets
Recent parliamentary submissions offer a window into the opportunities and risks when the country re-emerges more fully. -
30 Jul 2020
Pacific islands: The cost to tomorrow of the crisis today
The brunt of the Covid-19 recession will be borne by developing nations, where youth populations are dominant. -
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. -
29 Jul 2020
Europe, united in recovery – for now
A “historic” agreement has buoyed markets and marks a further, albeit temporary, step towards European federalism. -
29 Jul 2020
Battle for Hong Kong takes on a new shape
Squashed by Beijing’s new security law, the pro-democracy movement is going into politics – or going underground. -
28 Jul 2020
Managing Chinese economic risks means more than diversification
How does Australia confront the possibility of Beijing’s economic coercion? -
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
Book review: The memory of a massacre in Thailand
Survivors and perpetrators alike have preferred silence as a way of coping with a traumatic past. -
24 Jul 2020
The world can still prosper from free trade
Trade negotiators must think that theirs is an unhappy lot. But they keep trying – as they should. -
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.