Might China try to attack Taiwan by 2027? The outgoing chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Philip Davidson, thought so in 2021, and he recently reaffirmed his assessment. But whether the United States and China …
In discussing Vietnamese politics, the commentariat falls back on the word ‘opaque’. This usually means that it does not know what is happening. The term is resurfacing in the wake of the resignation on 19 …
Held on 5-11 March, China’s National People’s Congress, the most important event in the country’s annual political calendar, was remarkable mainly for how unremarkable it was this year. Premier Li Qiang’s report on the work …
Australia has a lot to learn from Taiwan but very few avenues for learning. A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan on 3 April. Amid severe damage and landslides, few were killed in the east-coast …
The development of an Australia-UK joint climate action plan as part of AUKMIN’s defence and security pillar foregrounds the important role of the two countries’ defence ministers and agencies in responding to climate change. Where …
It’s been more than a decade since the then Gillard government released Australia’s first national security strategy, flagging an expectation that an updated strategy should be created every five years to set out key objectives …
The vulnerability of Australia’s trade routes to military coercion was highlighted by both last year’s Defence Strategic Update and by government commentary on the rationale for AUKUS. In his critique of ASPI’s new report, The …
Waiting for the US Congress to pass an aid package for Ukraine feels like waiting for Godot. On a recent visit to Washington, I met with officials from President Joe Biden’s administration, Republican senators, House …
Our ability to plan for crises, to reduce the uncertainties they present and to quickly diagnose the effectiveness of our actions in novel scenarios—all of this opens up a conversation about the possibilities and challenges …
To make a good battery, you need fluorine, an element that is sourced from the mineral fluorspar. That presents a looming problem for China and its considerable efforts to dominate the global electric vehicle (EV) …
Australia needs to develop more creative and bold recruitment and retention strategies for the Australian Defence Force. The recruitment of foreigners into the ADF, particularly Pacific islanders, is one solution that commentators have proposed in …
With the global semiconductor supply chain under strain, India and Australia have a timely opportunity to strengthen their partnership in the critical sector. Both recognise the strategic importance of developing domestic semiconductor capabilities. As Quad …
South Korea’s domestic politics are plagued by trends including polarisation, truth decay, strongly differing perspectives, sharp personalities, and a widening gender divide. These are manifested in a growing gap between the two major political parties—the …
India’s military is likely to establish several new joint commands this year in one of the most significant restructures in its history. The country is one of Australia’s closest partners, with one of the world’s …
Last week, ASPI released an important new report on Australian maritime trade. This is a critical subject, about which far too little is written. However, the report examines peacetime trade with the expectation that the …
What follows is an interview by Project Syndicate with Angela Huyue Zhang, author of High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs its Economy (Oxford University Press, 2024). Project Syndicate: In 2020, Chinese regulators …
If Australia wants the ability to sustain northern air power, it needs air force bases that can fend off attacking missiles and also quickly recover from the hits by those that successfully penetrate. The Royal …
For a glimpse into Australia’s future in a rapidly changing climate, have a look at Queensland, our most hazard-prone state. Recent government data shows that in the past three years, 60 of the state’s 77 …
Chief defence scientist: We must get emerging technologies into the hands of our war fighters faster
For chief defence scientist Tanya Monro, the concept of ‘minimum viable capability’ is critical to shifting Australia’s thinking on how to get cutting edge technologies into the hands of military personnel fast enough to give …
In July 2019, world-renowned biological researchers Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng were quietly walked out of the Canadian government’s National Microbiology Lab (NML). The original allegation against them was that Qiu had authorised a shipment …