The case for energy realism at COP28

At the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, world leaders will, for the first time, officially take stock of global progress towards the goals set out in the Paris climate agreement in 2015. …

Defence innovation: a view from Indo-Pacific 2023

Only rarely at last week’s Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition did defence acquisition officials rise to speak without emphasising the importance of fielding new capabilities at speed. Among those taking this line were the leadership team …

Australian ports in a cyber storm

The hack into the systems of ports operator DP World at the weekend exposes Australia’s high dependence on containerised imports for manufactured goods. Walk into any Bunnings, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Myers or K-Mart store, and …

The wars of the new world order

The crises, conflicts and wars that are currently raging highlight just how profoundly the geopolitical landscape has changed in recent years, as great-power rivalries have again become central to international relations. With the wars in …

How China commands its ‘people’s army’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing in June exposed the scarcity of military-to-military dialogue between China’s People’s Liberation Army and the US military. Stabilising US–China relations to manage competition and avoid conflict …

The five-domains update

Sea state   A US destroyer and Canadian frigate transited the Taiwan Strait last week in a second joint passage in less than two months. According to US Pacific Command, the event was an ‘unremarkable’, ‘unprovocative’ …