The strategic rivalry between the United States and China poses a sharp challenge to international organisations, which are now at risk of becoming mere pawns of either power. Whether multilateral institutions can retain a role …
My latest Strategic Insights paper provides an overview of the post-caliphate Salafi-jihadi environment, focusing on the franchising strategy of al-Qaeda and Islamic State. It finds that the threat is now less ‘top-down’ than ‘bottom-up’ and …
There are few things more ridiculous than an all-male panel (‘manel’), committee or decision-making body. Aside from some very rare exceptions, why they continue to exist today is completely beyond me. Ambassador to the US …
US President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy gives the impression that he ventures abroad not in search of monsters to slay, but as a bull carrying a china shop on his back. He has …
Sea state A Chinese spy vessel has been making its way towards Australia to monitor the Talisman Sabre exercise, which began this week. Defence sources have said that the Dongdiao-class electronic surveillance ship has been …
Where the ‘Indo-Pacific’ begins and ends, and what it looks like, depends partly on where you are. It’s a term that has quite subtle but different shades of meaning depending on your national or policy …
Hugh White’s new book, How to defend Australia, has stirred up a hornet’s nest on the topic of potential nuclear proliferation. In one sense, that’s a surprise, since anyone who’s read the relevant chapter knows …
The heads of Australia’s diverse media outlets have joined forces to raise their concerns about press freedom in light of the recent Australian Federal Police raids on the ABC’s Sydney offices and a News Corp …
Policymakers are generally uninterested in, if not actively contemptuous of, the scribblings of academics. There have, of course, been some notable exceptions to this general pattern, and even some individuals who managed to be both. …
Australia’s climate is projected to become harsher, putting more stress on our living conditions. Arguably, we need to adapt the design, use and maintenance of infrastructure and building stocks in response to a changing climate …
Asia’s rise is changing the world. This is a defining feature of the 21st century—the Asian century. These developments have profound implications for people everywhere. Asia’s extraordinary ascent has already changed the Australian economy, society …
Hugh White’s How to defend Australia shows a master storyteller at work. It’s part of a debate Australians must have. While the book starts that debate, its core judgements shift from possibilities to certainties, and …
The world The diplomatic mega-event of the year, the G20 summit, was held in Japan last weekend. Caitlin Byrne nicely captured the main highlights in her post in The Conversation. Not surprisingly, US President Donald …
WPS Strategic Insights paper launched ASPI launched its third Strategic Insights paper on WPS. This year’s collection of articles offers insights and recommendations to address some of the emerging challenges—including cybersecurity, health security and resource …
The logic behind Australia’s terrorism-related loss-of-citizenship provisions is meant to be brilliantly simple: if a person travels overseas to be a foreign fighter, and is a dual citizen, then under certain circumstances their Australian citizenship …
US President Donald Trump has been accused of weaponising economic globalisation. Sanctions, tariffs and the restriction of access to US dollars have been major instruments of his foreign policy, and he has been unconstrained by …
Once again Peter Jennings has started an important debate: to white paper or not to white paper? I am persuaded by Andrew Davies’ cautious counter. The heart of this discussion is what problem another defence …
How to defend Australia sets out four strategic objectives for Australian forces: defending the continent, securing the neighbourhood, supporting maritime Southeast Asia and preserving the wider Asian balance. To achieve this, Hugh White proposes a …
The beat Political interference revealed in UK arrest of Tiananmen activist Evidence has emerged that in 2015 Chinese officials pressured British police to arrest Shao Jiang, a Tiananmen square survivor and activist living in London. …
US President Donald Trump’s threat last week to respond militarily if Iran attacks ‘anything American’ is a clear warning to Iran’s leadership, and all stakeholders, that the US has now added lethal military action to …