When the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was first conceived as a strategic coalition of the Indo-Pacific’s four leading democracies, many doubted that it would amount to much. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mocked it as a …
Australia’s Pacific security problem is simple: we’re not thinking big enough about our role and we have convinced ourselves that we’re incapable of moving quickly to counter China. Canberra policymaking has dumbed down. Note how …
In 2009, Australia’s government decided that it would replace eight Anzac-class frigates with nine ships optimised for antisubmarine warfare (ASW). There was no justification in the Royal Australian Navy capstone doctrine for acquiring and optimising …
Ukraine needs large stocks of heavy weapons, tanks, artillery, long-range missiles and air-defence systems if it’s to defeat a looming Russian offensive in the nation’s east, the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia has warned. ‘I’m sorry, …
One of the most important achievements of last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow was the Global Methane Pledge, a commitment by more than 100 countries to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. …
The Middle East is learning to live without America. While the United States will continue to shape regional security, not least through its advanced weapons systems, its (perceived) retreat from the Middle East has raised …
When Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, many were afraid that a Chinese assault on Taiwan would be next. After all, President Xi Jinping had indicated that he wanted to resolve the ‘Taiwan question’ while …
As Ukraine slowly turns the tide on Russia’s assault, Australian leaders must quickly heed the warning of their resistance. War between major powers is no longer a remote possibility in the 21st century. But Canberra …
The signing of the security pact between China and Solomons Islands represents one of the gravest Australian diplomatic and intelligence failures in more than half a decade. This failure didn’t just happen, nor is it the result …
While the likely outcome of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine remains unclear, Russia’s aggression has already changed the European security order in important ways. The only modern European historical comparison is Hitler’s invasion of Poland …
In Canberra’s great China debate, the panda huggers dominated the dragon slayers for the first 15 years of this century. Lots of happy huggers drowned out those who feared that the dragon danger would trump …
The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. Russia’s aim over the next few weeks is to deliver a paper victory for President Vladimir Putin to justify a parade on 9 May in Moscow …
Australia is Russia’s closest competitor in global markets and is the obvious winner as Russia loses sales under the impact of international sanctions. Since the beginning of the year, the average price of Australia’s biggest …
Sea state Moskva, the Russian Navy’s Black Sea flagship, sank near the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine last week. Amid conflicting reports from Kyiv and Moscow, the US has backed claims that an RK-360 …
Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re more aware of the weaknesses of globalisation and the flaws of managing supply and demand through just-in-time practices. The problem is clear for Australia’s policymakers, but the solution less …
Five years ago, when Marine Le Pen faced Emmanuel Macron in the televised debate ahead of the second round of the French presidential election, she flunked the test. Taking an overly aggressive tone from the …
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken up friends and foes in the Middle East. They are engaged in reassessing their relationships with the United States and Russia. Whether this will lead to a more stable …
There is strong opposition in Solomon Islands to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s security deal with China, says the nation’s opposition leader, Matthew Wale. Wale tells The Strategist those opposed to the deal include members of …
In Solomon Islands and the Torres Strait and in every other state and territory of the Pacific, China’s government is sponsoring political interference activities that undermine democracy and weaken already fragile political systems. The Solomons’ …
Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine has accelerated the division of the world into two blocs, one comprising the world’s democracies and the other its autocracies. This, in turn, has exposed the risks inherent in economic …