Australia’s states, territories and communities enjoyed close and mutually beneficial relations with China for four decades from the late 1970s through to Xi Jinping’s rise to power in the 2010s. With Xi’s ascent, authorities in …
Debate: "General"
Let’s hope the Quad and AUKUS get boring. It’s rare in the politics of diplomacy to have no new ‘announceables’ or major initiatives from key meetings like the Quad involving Indian, Japanese, American and Australian …
Three decades after gaining its independence from the USSR, Lithuania is again on the front lines of tension between the liberal democratic world and communist authoritarianism. This time, it’s grappling with the People’s Republic of …
On 2 February, ASPI released Agenda for change 2022: shaping a different future for our nation to promote public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to Australia. The key message in Agenda for …
Over 200 years, Australia went out into the South Pacific as bible-bashers and blackbirders, as carpetbaggers, captains and colonisers. We sailed and traded and built and searched for both gold and souls. Always, we sought …
The number of children attracted to extremist groups has increased dramatically and minors are now the focus of more than half of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s highest priority investigations each week. The alarming increase, …
Unless some last-minute dramatic event occurs, the unravelling of the Pacific Islands Forum will begin its final stage sometime in the next week when the first of the five Micronesian members is expected to complete …
On 2 February, ASPI released Agenda for change 2022: shaping a different future for our nation to promote public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to Australia. The key message in Agenda for …
Australia’s diplomatic lapses in 2021 exposed our underappreciation of diplomacy and underinvestment in diplomatic capability. Foreign policy and diplomacy are not the same. As I note in my new ASPI report, The costs of discounted …
Why has Russia’s President Vladimir Putin become so aggressive in his attitude to the US, NATO and Ukraine? In this article, I begin by examining the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and how it …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Monday that 1,700 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to support the aged care sector. The intent is to provide immediate assistance with managing Covid-19 outbreaks and alleviating …
For the moment, Defence Minister Peter Dutton has decided to stick with the troubled Hunter-class frigate program. With his usual candour, he told The Australian last week: ‘We looked very carefully at this project and …