8 Feb 2019
Russian arms flood Southeast Asia
New data shows Russian power not only nuclear weapons. Asian states are being brought into Moscow’s sphere of influence.
-
-
7 Feb 2019
Inflated counts of civilian casualties collateral of modern war
Complex modern conflict makes identifying the cause of the war dead impossible. This seems to have eluded some lobbies. -
7 Feb 2019
The Vietnamese venue will shape the second Trump-Kim summit
<p>Trump and Kim Jong-un will meet in Vietnam, a backdrop with history for the US and promise for North Korea.</p> -
7 Feb 2019
Yes, Hillary could have led the world to war with Kim Jong-un
A hoary “what if”, but Trump has helped calm Korean peninsula dangers in a way that may have eluded his 2016 rival. -
7 Feb 2019
China cabinet: Huang Xiangmo’s visa strife, and outlook downbeats
<p>Is Australia stepping up pushback against Beijing? And why is China worried about economic bad views?</p> -
6 Feb 2019
Facebook’s first 15 years and lessons for diplomacy
<p>Diplomacy has not found facebook to be an easy or effective way to improve engagement across borders.</p> -
6 Feb 2019
Aid links: Ebola strikes, donations drop, and Gates debates
The case for a woman to lead the World Bank, the poverty paradox, and stories from the aid and development sector. -
6 Feb 2019
Hopes and tempered promises for the Bangsamoro Organic Law
Fatal bombings just few days after the historic vote demonstrated that peacebuilding in the region is contentious. -
6 Feb 2019
Through the Taliban’s eyes: peace prospects in Afghanistan
<p>Insights gleaned from Taliban documents suggest little chance of an escape from strife. </p> -
5 Feb 2019
Film Review: Brexit – the Uncivil War
<p>A compelling political thriller, dabbling in both sides of the Brexit divide, if ultimately settling on Remain.</p> -
5 Feb 2019
Not only China, Tsai Ing-wen must master the politics of pork
The agricultural lobby is making trouble for Taiwan’s president, yet tackling vested interests might be key to winning. -
5 Feb 2019
Getting a better outcome from the second Trump-Kim summit
Why not start by demanding North Korea finally give us a list or inventory of its weapons? -
4 Feb 2019
Will a sugar tax solve Southeast Asia’s growing diabetes problem?
Southeast Asia now has an estimated 96 million people suffering from Type II diabetes, a fifth of all cases worldwide. -
4 Feb 2019
A blast from North Korean past
Pyongyang’s recent proposal of Korean reunification has parallels in history – to periods it has felt confident. -
4 Feb 2019
Giving Australia a sporting chance
Diplomacy in the Pacific should exploit one of Australia’s special attributes – the love of competition. -
1 Feb 2019
US, Taliban, Afghanistan peace talks: timing is critical
<p>Should the US agree to a full pull-out of its troops, Afghanistan may fall into the chaos of the past.</p> -
1 Feb 2019
WhatsApp targets fake news in lead-up to Indonesian elections
In an effort to curb misinformation, WhatsApp will limit message forwards. Could this affect Indonesia’s elections? -
1 Feb 2019
Malaysia and China: breaking up is hard to do
Mahathir’s promise to scrap or renegotiate “unequal” infrastructure deals with Beijing – a plan easier said than done. -
31 Jan 2019
Economic diplomacy: FTAs, shrinking China, and ecommerce
Cabinet papers from the Howard government offer a glimpse into Australia’s first steps toward bilateral trade deals. -
31 Jan 2019
Don’t “crush” Abu Sayyaf perpetrators, debrief them
Vital information is lost when the Philippines military is encouraged to kill rather than arrest the perpetrators. -
31 Jan 2019
Pacific collateral from the INF Treaty collapse
Leaving the treaty would allow the US to quickly build up regional arsenal of new nuclear weapons to challenge China. -
30 Jan 2019
Pacific links: APEC rebuke, raised eyebrows, and more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
30 Jan 2019
What is the F-35 for, exactly?
Australia’s first two new stealth fighters have taken to local skies. Now what? -
30 Jan 2019
Australia’s new Pacific Czar
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s new Office of the Pacific is a sign of the step up being made real. -
29 Jan 2019
US spooks chart a steady course
The essential tone of the National Intelligence Strategy is a hortatory call to “do better”. -
29 Jan 2019
Mediation a long shot in Kashmir conflict
<p>Insistence on bilateralism and a lack of consensus has conflict resolution looking dire for the contested state.</p> -
29 Jan 2019
Extrajudicial killings: India’s long history of “fake encounters”
Independent UN experts have expressed alarm at the rate of alleged police killings in the Indian state Uttar Pradesh. -
-
25 Jan 2019
Letter from Dili: languid days, broken barracks, and a surprise
Dili is marked by imprints of a once prominent international city with a presence now slipping from perceptible view. -
25 Jan 2019
Do away with Australia Day, celebrate Republic Day instead
<p>There is no need to reach back to history to find an excuse to celebrate. Australia should make history.</p> -
25 Jan 2019
The dark harvest of Chinese “black ships”
Strange behaviour by Chinese vessels in the South China Sea cannot be attributed simply to militarisation. -
24 Jan 2019
Lowy Institute at Davos 2019: how power adapts in a changed world
<p>Herve Lemahieu speaks on global power distribution in a world more defined by zero-sum politics.</p> -
24 Jan 2019
China cabinet: black swans, grey rhinos, an elephant in the room
A rare acknowledgement of economic risk, the detention of Yang Hengjun, and the changing air around Xi Jinping. -
24 Jan 2019
Aid links: Spice Girls and factories, redistribution, and more
Links and stories from the aid and development sector. -
23 Jan 2019
How the media’s fixation with Trump was exported
<p>The blizzard of coverage of the president obscures other important stories – in the US, and in Australia, too.</p> -
23 Jan 2019
Just how green is the Belt and Road?
China readily claims the mantle of environmental leadership, but its flagship infrastructure project has a cost. -
23 Jan 2019
2019: a rough road ahead for Xi
The fortunes of China’s president have quickly soured, with economic troubles at home and pressure abroad. -
22 Jan 2019
The fate of three Canadians may now rest with Donald Trump
Beijing can justifiably be concerned about the detention of a citizen, but not hold foreigners in arbitrary retaliation. -
22 Jan 2019
Why the gloom? Global economic prospects
Reality, when it arrives, may turn out boringly routine – more-of-the-same rather than the drama of “Winter is coming”. -
22 Jan 2019
Encouraging Trump, the “germaphobe”, to go global on health
<p>How do you get a policymaker that is sceptical about the value of global health programs to support them?</p> -
22 Jan 2019
Indonesia: releasing Abu Bakar Ba’asyir wrong on all counts
A decision to release the notorious extremist only leaves Jokowi looking weak, out-manoeuvred, and poorly advised. -
21 Jan 2019
The politics of asylum-seeking: al-Qanun’s route to Canada
<p>Similar cases seldom have positive results, highlighting how they can be manipulated by political actors.</p> -
21 Jan 2019
Talking to the Taliban: challenges for Kabul
The Taliban wants to turn a stalemate into its favour after Washington declared a time-bound approach to a settlement. -
21 Jan 2019
Australia articulates its Indian Ocean priorities
Payne emphasised that it is in Australia’s vital national interest for the Indian Ocean to remain open and peaceful. -
18 Jan 2019
Syria: emerging consequences of the US withdrawal
Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria has actors scrambling to make sense of the ramifications. -
18 Jan 2019
Book Review: the Clinton fiction
Clinton’s book has nothing new to say about politics but it may offer some insight into his assessment of the world. -
18 Jan 2019
Brexit: British people vote with their feet
The potential appeal of Ireland post-Brexit has seen business headquarters leave London and passport applications surge. -
17 Jan 2019
Economic diplomacy: A new year of trade rows & development strife
<p>It’s back ... more debate over TPP membership, plus a hint why Kim quit, and the AIIB goes green.</p> -
17 Jan 2019
Indonesia’s elections: identity politics and olive branches
Is the reality of Indonesia’s politics forcing a hardliner to become more moderate? -
17 Jan 2019
Why China’s financial system remains closed
Large scale liberalisation of a financial system created by a decade-long credit binge would be reckless.