The return of strategic competition between states is an established geopolitical trend. But states themselves are getting more fragile, according to the 2021 Fund for Peace Fragile States Index. The index shows an increase in nations …
Debate: "General"
In Australia, the prevailing view of mobilisation is that it is an activity associated with going to war. In the event of an armed conflict, the nation mobilises to support the Australian Defence Force. Against …
Xi Jinping is positioning the People’s Liberation Army to bring Taiwan under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. The Taiwanese assess perhaps a three-year time frame before an attack, while US Indo-Pacific Command in …
ASPI celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. This series looks at ASPI’s work since its creation in August 2001. The world has reached a set of big judgements on global warming and started to act. …
In my previous post, I looked at some of the issues involved in the Royal Australian Navy acquiring or leasing older nuclear-powered attack submarines from the UK to jump-start Australia’s own SSN program. In summary, …
‘Sustainability’ is an increasingly popular term used to signal one’s virtue in contemporary public discourse, but it’s a poor basis for sound public policy. It conveys a biologist’s view of the economy without any of …
Planet A A new study has recommended that 11 species of Australian bees be listed as threatened, a five-fold increase, due to the 2019–20 bushfires. Lower bee populations threaten crop production, with consequences for Australia’s …
With ASEAN toeing the line of non-interference, the Quad has its first major opportunity to prove its mettle and help end the violence in Myanmar. After a brief waltz with democracy, Myanmar once again descended …
In case you’ve just arrived from Mars, the Australian government has announced it will acquire, with the assistance of the United States and United Kingdom, a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) that will be …
The Afghanistan debacle has shaken many of America’s allies around the world, making them wonder about the US’s reliability as a partner. In the Middle East, it has led some Arab allies to reassess their …
The Arctic is changing rapidly, owing to the impact of global warming, increasing competition for resources and geopolitical rivalries. Regarding the region’s future, the European Union has both interests to uphold and a meaningful contribution …
Papua New Guinea is divided over its Covid-19 response. The virus has spread throughout the country since March and is now pushing hospitals to capacity in the nation’s worst Covid-19 surge so far, but a …