The world Today, the Olympic Winter Games kick off in Pyeongchang, South Korea. North Korea’s Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, along with Kim Jong-un’s sister, will attend. They’ll be …
Articles by: "Malcolm Davis"
In my last post, I considered the high-level strategic policy implications of strengthening Australia’s relationships with the US and other nations as part of an effort to support the US national defence strategy (NDS). That …
The release of the Trump administration’s 2018 national defence strategy (NDS) in January highlighted a more dangerous threat environment with an assertive China and aggressive Russia at the top of US concerns. The document states …
Welcome, dear readers, to the first ‘ASPI suggests’ of 2018. The world While Michael Wolff’s Fire and fury lit flames under the White House to start the new year, the cabinet files scandal and the …
We’re barely into 2018 and two major crises confront the world, both with significant nuclear dimensions. On the Korean peninsula, Kim Jong-un has once again reinforced his growing nuclear weapons capability and apparent willingness to …
Nuclear weapons and their role in Australia’s future defence are being openly debated by some key thinkers in Canberra. A recent ASPI Strategic Insights paper by Paul Dibb and Richard Brabin-Smith highlights a worsening security outlook …
The world Welcome to the last ‘ASPI suggests’ of 2017. Let’s kick things off with a look back at the year. The New York Times has published a list of its most-read stories of 2017 …
The world Donald Trump doesn’t let a week slip by without throwing a spanner in the works. His decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital overturned more than two decades of US foreign policy in …
The world Britain is preparing to settle its ‘divorce bill’ with the European Union. Initial claims from presumptuous Brexiteers that Britain would be saving, not spending, have proved false—in the short term, at least. The …
The world This week pundits continued to pick apart President Donald Trump’s Asia trip. This piece from China File takes a look at the geopolitical manoeuvring of two great powers, now possibly on equal footing, …
China’s military modernisation remains a key concern for the US and its allies. Crucial in that regard has been China’s development of forces geared towards preventing uncontested access to its air and maritime approaches by …
The world It’s summit season in Southeast Asia. This week all the big names of the Asia–Pacific descended on Vietnam and the Philippines for the 31st ASEAN Summit and related meetings (such as APEC and …