Sink the navy and start again. Shrink the army. Double the air force. That’s the military revolution of Hugh White’s How to defend Australia, based on his claim that Australia has spent two decades building …
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, prominent international relations experts such as the late French political philosopher Pierre Hassner argued that the world was witnessing a process of competitive decay between the United States …
1. Old dog, old tricks Cutting deals over real estate is the foundation of President Donald Trump’s world view. Recall the video Trump produced to show Kim Jong-un in Singapore with all those condo-ready North …
The world Following its formal withdrawal from the INF Treaty, the US has tested a nuclear-capable medium- range cruise missile. For the details on the launch, see War is Boring. Russia and China have both …
Now that Prime Minister Scott Morrison has finalised his advisory team, he’s apparently planning a series of ‘sleeves up’ sessions on policy development. There are a few topics that he should have his advisers working …
‘A new era has begun in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Article 370 was a hurdle for development of Kashmir … Article 370 and Article 35A gave only separatism, nepotism and corruption to the people …
The relationship between Australian universities and China is attracting growing attention and some criticism. Three questions are being asked: are universities too dependent on the China market, is Chinese influence in Australian universities excessive, and …
As a historian, I hold the now rather quaint view that the classics can help us make sense of the world. So to understand the recent efflorescence of debate in Australian strategic policy circles prompted …
In this episode, ASPI’s Marcus Hellyer talks to the authors of the US Studies Centre report that’s been making waves around the Indo-Pacific about US strategy and readiness in the region. Marcus and ASPI senior …
Towards the end of 2017, America’s official rhetoric on China changed so abruptly that the sensation was one of a dam bursting. The national security strategy issued in December 2017 and the national defence strategy …
The beat Footage of police brutality leads to arrests in Hong Kong Amid accusations of police brutality linked to pro-democracy protests, two Hong Kong police officers have been arrested after footage was released of them …
Israel is approaching another parliamentary election, and Palestinians have barely been mentioned. The vote comes at a time when the United States is pushing its poorly conceived economy-focused ‘Peace to Prosperity’ plan. With the Israeli–Palestinian …
They say timing is everything. This week I’ve been devouring the United States Studies Centre’s excellent new report, Averting crisis: American strategy, military spending and collective defence in the Indo-Pacific. It makes a convincing argument …
On Monday, Twitter and Facebook announced that they had taken down a network of accounts that were undertaking covert influence campaigns designed to undermine the protest movement in Hong Kong. In their statements, both companies …
In March last year, Australia and Vietnam upgraded their diplomatic relations to a strategic partnership, stressing among other things the importance of a region ‘shaped by rules and norms’ and annual meetings between their defence …
Rob Bourke’s new study, Defence projects and the economy, lets us draw important lessons for maximising the economic benefits of building military equipment in Australia. As the study states, ‘domestic builds tend to be economically …
In response to Australia’s increasingly uncertain strategic outlook, there are now calls to boost defence spending well beyond the current target of 2% of GDP in what’s assumed to be a steadily growing economy. Taxpayer …
For well over a century, Myanmar’s remote mountains and valleys have played a central role in the regional supply chains for illicit drugs. Initially, opium poppies were grown in Myanmar; later, high-purity heroin was produced …
Hugh White’s latest book has stimulated a debate about the defence of Australia and the capabilities and shape of the Australian Defence Force. This is an important discussion to have, not only because it will …
Sea state BAE Systems has started construction on HMS Cardiff, the second of Britain’s Type 26 City-class frigates, which are set to replace the current anti-submarine warfare Type 23 frigates. The new class will ‘contribute …