Chinese media narratives on the Middle East conflict present this external crisis as a validation of China’s national security strategies. While official statements show diplomatic and humanitarian support for Iran, media narratives reveal Beijing’s strategic …
Papua New Guinea needs to prepare for the threat posed by cheap, commercial drones. Given Australia’s defence cooperation with PNG – formalised into an alliance by the Pukpuk treaty – and the two countries’ proximity, this …
They were assembled in Australia but not really made in Australia. Lockheed Martin GMLRS missiles lately test-fired in Australia were the first delivered from an Australian factory, and the 13 April announcement of the shots …
A dimming outlook for US defence exports in Europe – outlined by Bill Sweetman in a 24 March Strategist article – should raise concerns for the viability of the Trump administration’s defence export strategy. That …
Since the end of World War II, Australia has enjoyed an ideologically simple security environment: all its core allies have been liberal democracies, and all its foes have been illiberal. The United States, the architect …
Strategic geography creates opportunity. It does not create industry. Northern Australia now faces a simple test: can the Northern Territory turn its position at the edge of the Indo-Pacific into real industrial capability? The Northern …
Meetings between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) are now routine, no longer tentative or discreet but frequent and increasingly public. From 7 to 12 April 2026, KMT chair Cheng Li-wun is …
When Australians think about Taiwan, the focus is often narrow: a distant sovereignty dispute in the Taiwan Strait, or a potential flashpoint between China and the United States. This framing understates the scale of what …
Commentators often inaccurately describe the frameworks governing US military presence in Australia. Debate frequently centres on sovereignty, with claims that deeper US access or infrastructure investment risks eroding Australian control. That framing overlooks the structured …
Australians are watching fuel prices and wondering how bad this could get. Donald Trump’s comments on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday delivered a blunt message: Don’t assume the United States will carry …
Fuel crises expose a hard truth: systems fail when governments ration for comfort instead of economic capability. Australia faces that test as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz constrains global energy flows and highlights a …
China is no longer merely leading the research in major technology fields. It’s also moving towards a monopolistic position in most of them, the latest update of ASPI’s Critical Technology Tracker shows. As wars in …
