The US undersea deterrent is the most survivable leg of America’s nuclear triad of ground-, air- and sea-based nuclear capabilities. The sea-based leg, however, is also the most brittle of the three. If an alert …
The Australian government’s interpretation of what constitutes a drought must change to cope with the pressures of a more variable and arid climate. In his foreword to the government’s drought response, resilience and preparedness plan, …
Chinese diplomats have long had a reputation as well-trained, colourless and cautious professionals who pursue their missions doggedly without attracting much unfavourable attention. But a new crop of younger diplomats are ditching established diplomatic norms …
The following post is adapted from the foreword to ASPI’s latest special report, A Pacific disaster prevention review, released this week. ASPI’s review of disaster prevention in the Pacific is a welcome initiative, coming as …
Australia is at a watershed moment in naval capability with the fleet’s regeneration over the next decade as a consequence of the 2016 defence white paper and the investment decisions flowing from it. As the …
When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s term ends in late 2021, it will be almost nine years since voters returned his Liberal Democratic Party to government in Japan’s 2012 general election. Abe promised to rescue Japan …
Sea state A contract for 1,500 tonnes of steel has been signed between BlueScope Steel and ASC Shipbuilding. ASC Shipbuilding, as a subsidiary of BAE Systems Australia, has been engaged to construct nine Hunter-class frigates in …
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ‘not in a good mood’, US President Donald Trump recently declared, as he offered to mediate India’s resurgent border conflict with China. After years of bending over backwards to …
Finding a balance between encouraging Australia’s domestic manufacturing to ensure supply-chain security for critical sectors and not violating free-trade agreements by introducing tariffs and subsidies for ‘strategic industries’ will be a tough task for the …
One of my most vivid childhood memories was watching my city burn. In July 1967, when I was nine, my hometown of Detroit exploded in what was then the worst urban riot in American history. …
Engaging more women in UN peacekeeping The United Nations designated ‘women in peacekeeping’ as the theme for this year’s International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on 29 May. With women making up just 6% of …
The small landlocked Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which lies between China and India, is not only a tourist mecca. The country has also long pioneered the concept of ‘gross national happiness’, which its architects regard …
The party speaks for you: Foreign interference and the Chinese Communist Party’s united front system
The United Front … is an important magic weapon for strengthening the party’s ruling position … and an important magic weapon for realising the China Dream of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. — …
Since US President Richard Nixon journeyed to Beijing in 1972, America’s grand strategy for China has been to engage and hedge. Now the hedge is burnt and the engagement is off—no marriage of minds possible. …
It’s the Queen’s Birthday public holiday (even if it’s not her actual birthday) here in Canberra and in most of the rest of Australia. That means we’re taking the day off from normal duties and …
Policy, Guns and Money: Offshore patrol vessels, India–China standoff and Europe’s Covid-19 response
In this episode, ASPI’s Malcolm Davis and Marcus Hellyer bring you an update on maritime and space issues, including discussion of Marcus’s report on the possibilities for Australia’s new offshore patrol vessels, SpaceX launches and …
Herewith a preliminary assessment of losers and winners from the global pandemic. The list is subject to change without notice. Losers The United States may turn out to be the biggest loser of all. Washington’s …
The beat UK backs Taiwan’s participation in Interpol The UK Foreign Office has expressed support for Taiwan participating in Interpol as an observer. Taiwan was replaced in the international policing organisation by the People’s Republic …
The involvement of young people in violent extremism isn’t a 21st-century phenomenon. The Nazi party in Germany founded the Hitler Youth organisations in the early 1920s to indoctrinate juveniles, and the Irish Republican Army discovered …
The looming strategic update to Australia’s 2016 defence white paper is an opportunity for creativity and practicality. It’s too easy to imagine the update describing what’s happened in the last four years and moving on …