When Hungarians go to the polls in April, liberal democracy will be on the ballot—and not only in Hungary. Former US President Donald Trump is promoting the populist prime minister, Viktor Orban. Tucker Carlson, Fox …
Big international issues shape a nation’s domestic equations. And so the Australian election to be held by 21 May will be shaped by pandemic, decarbonisation and geopolitical rivalry. Covid, climate and China are problems so …
This week, ASPI released the report Taking the low road: China’s influence in Australian states and territories, which maps out the changing nature of China’s engagement with Australian states and territories, local governments, city councils, …
Despite a strong focus on air and naval power, the commander of the United States Army in the Pacific says land forces will play a crucial role in any future regional conflict. And to deter …
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 …
Truculent truckers have driven several governments to distraction in recent weeks. In Canada, they blocked bridges to the United States and laid siege to the capital, Ottawa. In New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, truckers and other …
Beijing has repeatedly misunderstood Australia and Australians, so whomever it might ‘pick’ out of particular parties, its track record of judgement has been terrible. China’s leaders thought using the country’s trade with Australia in lobsters, …
The very idea of a free and independent Ukraine is such a major irritant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin that it will remain in his sights for years. And even if Russia doesn’t use the …
At the end of last year, the Philippines released initial funding for the purchase of the Indian–Russian BrahMos missile system. The contract for three batteries to be operated by the Philippine Marine Corps was signed …
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 …
The German Navy frigate Bayern is making its way home after its six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this week, the Brandenburg-class ship made its last refuelling stop in Spain before heading to its home …
The climate crisis is both a multiplier of current security crises and a driver of new threats. This relationship between a worsening climate and conflict means that both need to be addressed together, according to …
It’s been a month since the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted and cut off Tonga’s domestic and international communications. While satellite providers rushed to assist with restoring a basic connection, local media report that current …
A 21st-century war in Europe is no longer unthinkable. After weeks of speculation about whether Russia will invade Ukraine, a clear majority of respondents in a recent pan-European poll by the European Council on Foreign …
In the early days of cybersecurity, organisations adopted the model of Berlin during the Cold War: a wall high enough to prevent unwanted border crossings and a Checkpoint Charlie to regulate the rest. But the …
Much of the democratic world would like the United States to remain the pre-eminent global power. But with the US apparently committed to strategic overreach, that outcome risks becoming unlikely. The problem with America’s global …
This month marks the 43rd anniversary of the advent of Iran’s Islamic regime. It took power in the wake of the revolution of 1978–79 that toppled the Shah’s pro-Western monarchy, transforming the mainly Shia Iran into …
It’s a brutal time to be a Commonwealth public servant working on the budget. Portfolio additional estimates statements—the mid-year budget update for portfolio agencies—were tabled on Friday, yet with the 2022–23 budget brought forward to …
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 …
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 …