The release of the Trump administration’s 2018 national defence strategy (NDS) in January highlighted a more dangerous threat environment with an assertive China and aggressive Russia at the top of US concerns. The document states …
In his first televised interview since the recent widespread demonstrations in Iran, President Hassan Rouhani disappointed many by failing to address any of the root issues that sparked the unrest. An oppressive regime continues to …
In lieu of our regular round-ups on women, peace and security for December and January, we bring you some of the analysis and research conducted in 2017. Our February update will be published in early …
US defence secretary James Mattis recently made his first trip to Southeast Asia. Significantly, the visit took in Indonesia and Vietnam, both listed in Washington’s newly released national security strategy and national defence strategy as …
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has made a good start to the New Year. Not only did he broker an agreement to bring North Korea to the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang; he also convinced …
The US is the essential status quo power, led by a revisionist president. China loves the current status quo, while liking how the tide of change flows its way. The labels ‘status quo’ and ‘revisionist’ …
Welcome, dear readers, to the first ‘ASPI suggests’ of 2018. The world While Michael Wolff’s Fire and fury lit flames under the White House to start the new year, the cabinet files scandal and the …
In 2016, the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency created an impression that Eastern European–style populism was engulfing the West. In reality, the situation in Western Europe and the …
On 20 January, the Turkish armed forces began Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, an area of Syria controlled by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), one of the key opposition groups to the regime of …
‘Keeping the peace’ has become a dangerous endeavour in recent years. At the end of 2017, militants attacked a UN base in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Fifteen peacekeepers were killed—the highest single …
When three American warships and a merchant vessel were attacked by cruise missiles off the coast of Yemen in 2016, their crews fired off a series of defensive systems which diverted some of the missiles …
Data thefts are nothing new. In the United States, several incidents attributed to China have involved vast amounts of personal information. In 2014, the US health insurance company Anthem had data on almost 80 million …
The beat Trouble on the dance floor Cambodian police detained 90 foreigners last week for ‘singing and dancing pornographically’. The arrests took place at a popular pool party event called ‘Let’s Get Wet’ in Siem …
With opposition parties threatening to play the Islamic card on a broader scale, the appointment of National Intelligence Agency (BIN) director Budi Gunawan to a leading position on the Indonesian Mosque Council raises interesting questions …
Strategic relations exhibit a sort of dialectic. Australia scans for regional developments that might affect its security, and regional nations assess Australia’s responses to its strategic environment and respond in accord with their own interests. …
US President Donald Trump’s decision to grant sanctions relief to Iran on 12 January may have reflected a US need to buy time to build support for its position on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of …
From being a frontrunner in pressing China on the South China Sea disputes, the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking closer relations with China. In his state of the nation address in July last …
Japan’s plans to acquire cruise missiles for its combat aircraft are a step forward in its ability to provide for its own defence. But these weapons won’t give the country the capacity to pre-emptively destroy …
Every year, the World Economic Forum publishes a Global Risks Report, which distills the views of experts and policymakers from around the world. This year, cybersecurity is high on the list of global concerns, as …
What a way to start a year! The debate initiated by three former Australian deputy secretaries of defence—Hugh White, Paul Dibb and Richard Brabin-Smith—about the possibility of Australia acquiring nuclear weapons is certainly being noticed …