The Haiyang Dizhi 8, a survey vessel belonging to a Chinese government-run corporation, began surveying a large swath of seabed on 3 July northeast of Vanguard Bank, which falls within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. The ship has been …
This month marks 30 years since Europe—and human civilisation generally—began to undergo a miraculous transformation that is now etched in the world’s memory. By the summer of 1989, the Soviet Union was already in terminal …
The public discourse on artificial intelligence in the military context tends to get messy very quickly. There seems to be an AI variant of Godwin’s law (which holds that as any online discussion grows longer, …
With the federal election out of the way, and some welcome stability in the leadership of the major political parties in prospect, Australia now faces the challenge of forging a national consensus on an external …
I’ve just returned from the frontline of Australia’s soft power engagement in Asia. The New Colombo Plan that provided this opportunity is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is a key …
The strategic importance of northern Australia to our national security has long been recognised by successive governments, but policymakers have struggled to develop a coherent long-term plan for the defence of the north. Until recently, …
Australia’s traditional way of war is to send expeditionary forces abroad to fight in a coalition—to secure the continent by fighting far from it. For more than a century, a central tension of Oz strategic …
The world To launch this week’s Suggests we take you into space which is becoming an increasingly contested domain. A report by ASPI’s Malcolm Davis examines the implications conflict in space would have for the …
Andrew Hastie’s warning that an intellectual failure to accept that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision for the world will test our democratic values, economy, alliances and security as never before is a blunt wake-up call …
India announced the abrogation of certain provisions of Article 370 from its constitution last week, ending the special status enjoyed by Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. India also decided to split the erstwhile state into two …
Washington’s ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse, has used a speech to ASPI to stress the strength of the alliance with the United States and to reject suggestions that China and America are involved in a …
Hong Kong’s role as China’s window to the world of unfettered capitalism is highlighted by its massive investment in Australia, where it is the fifth largest source of foreign capital. Hong Kong investors own nearly …
The beat Australia’s new security college in the Pacific Ahead of this week’s Pacific Islands Forum meeting, the Australian government announced plans to set up an Australian Pacific Security College in partnership with the Australian …
‘Tilt’ is a word with a history in South Asia. Nearly half a century ago, Pakistan’s government brutally repressed its citizens in the eastern part of the country. Millions of refugees streamed into India, which …
What might warfare in space look like and what should the Australian Defence Force be doing to prepare? That’s the subject of my new ASPI strategy paper, which examines how the ADF uses space, explores …
How good (really) is Scott Morrison? Disappointingly, for Pacific leaders attending this week’s Pacific Islands Forum, the answer is becoming all too apparent, at least when it comes to the issue that matters most to …
Gender inequality persists in international relations and national security The Lowy Institute has released a comprehensive study of women in Australia’s international relations sector, revealing ‘severe gender imbalances … despite some prominent trailblazers’. The study …
By abruptly revoking the special, constitutionally protected status of Jammu and Kashmir, India has become the latest major democracy to act against a minority community for short-term political popularity. Kashmir will henceforth be ruled more …
The strategic risks for Australia are large in a post-CCP China. China’s domestic regime operates in ways that are repugnant to Western conceptions of democratic and human rights, and the Chinese Communist Party employs power …
The $500 million announced by the Morrison government to be spent over four years to keep Australia’s special forces’ capabilities at the global leading edge as part of a $3 billion, 20-year program isn’t new …