In this episode, Michael Shoebridge, head of ASPI’s defence, national security and strategy program, speaks with Darshana Baruah, non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about India’s navy and maritime goals, the Quad …
The anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States reminds us once again not only of its tragic consequences, but also of how fragile world politics has become since those events. …
It’s long been a tantalising trope: the foreign correspondent as spy, now reprised by Australian Financial Review journalist Aaron Patrick in his feature about a long-serving ABC journalist and senior executive, Peter Barnett, who died …
The United Nations is turning 75, and if this were a normal year, many of the world’s leaders would be set to gather in New York City to celebrate this milestone and open the annual …
The world knows the Republic of Kiribati as a very low-lying nation in the mid-Pacific that is in danger of inundation as the climate changes and sea levels rise. Much less is known about its …
Recent developments in the Defence Department’s planning for the land domain illustrate the disjuncture between the high-level policy directions in the 2020 defence strategic update that accurately assess our strategic situation, and the capability investment …
It’s been suggested that China’s deputy ambassador to Australia, Wang Xining, used an August 2020 speech to the National Press Club in Canberra to set out Beijing’s thinking on how Australia and China could reset …
Of the many threats and challenges confronting the world, two stand out: the deteriorating relationship between the world’s two most consequential powers, and the looming reality of climate-induced catastrophe. Both require goodwill and real cooperation …
The agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, although touted as a ‘peace’ deal, is no such thing. For one thing, the UAE and Israel were never at war. The UAE agreed to ‘full …
The prospect that the Australian Financial Review’s Mike Smith and the ABC’s Bill Birtles were going to spend months in China’s notorious black jails, being interrogated and having no access to lawyers, drove them to …
Women building peace during Covid-19 and beyond A new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies looks at the role of women peacebuilders and peacekeepers in educating local communities on responding to and …
Social media is a factor, for better or worse, in dealing with any crisis today. Facebook’s crisis-response hub, for example, relaunched in 2017, has become an important information medium for disaster-struck populations. Unfortunately, social media …
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s announcement that he is standing down for health reasons is worrying many across the Indo-Pacific. The US, Australia and Southeast Asia have grown accustomed to Japan’s stronger and ‘sturdier’ leadership …
China’s export machine has shifted up a gear, with global sales close to a record levels in July and August as its manufacturers respond to the demand generated by Covid-19 stimulus programs in Europe and …
If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it’s that Australia needs to link long-term planning with emergency and operational coordination. Our future prosperity depends on governments thinking in terms of rolling and concurrent crises, ensuring solutions …
The same deep tension lies at the heart of the fight against Covid-19 and climate change, particularly in democracies. In each case, the measures necessary to save everyone entail costs that widen existing inequalities. At …
The rapidly deteriorating state of Papua New Guinea’s economy is presenting serious challenges for the PNG government, which is already struggling to finance its 2020 budget. But another factor looms as an equal, if not …
The mantra of Australia’s 2020 defence strategic update is ‘shape, deter and respond’ with a renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Unfortunately, this policy will face challenges in delivery. Shaping, deterring and responding demand understanding, …
With November approaching, I’m becoming ever more nervous about the US presidential election. While my American friends focus on Joe Biden’s lead over Donald Trump in opinion polls, believing deeply in US democracy’s capacity for …
On Wednesday, Australia’s South Pacific ‘step-up’ reaches its fourth birthday as an ambitious work in progress. History and geography command commitment. Commitment generates cash. Cash is as vital as vision because neighbourhood needs press. Strategy …
