Ringed as we are by archipelagos, freedoms of navigation and overflight (FON) are extremely important to Australia. The archipelagic sea lanes (ASL) passage introduced by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) …
Consider the Trans-Pacific Partnership as an economic hard power weapon. The TPP can’t deal out death like the US 7th Fleet. But a lot of the language used about the TPP is more geopolitics than …
Australian police agencies’ capacity to proactively disrupt terrorist threats will continue to be eroded without new legislation to protect classified intelligence used in warrants—potentially putting us all at risk. And some of our senior police …
The Beat FIFA arrests The world’s most popular sport received more attention than usual last week when Swiss police arrested nine current and former FIFA officers, charging them with various corruption offences over a 24-year period. …
China is starting to give Asia a big case of initiative fatigue. Too many ideas, too much activism. As Simon and Garfunkel crooned, ‘slow down, you’re moving too fast!’ Xi Jinping confirms he’s the most …
China’s dredging activities in the South China Sea are significantly disrupting the region’s marine environment. As James Bortley reminds us, ‘the Spratly Islands’ immense biodiversity cannot be overlooked’. In April the Philippine Department of Foreign …
When ISIS fighters recently took back the town of Ramadi, in Anbar Province, Iraq it was a serious blow to the Iraqi government and their international allies. Until now, Iraq and the US have relied …
At the recent meeting of the US–Japan Cyber Defense Policy Working Group, both countries agreed to deepen their already extensive cyber cooperation. In a joint statement the two nations spoke of the increasing risk posed …
The balance of power is one of those concepts that gets the most attention when it’s shifting. Or wobbling. When people are talking about it, it’s time to be worried. And everybody is worried. As …
The election of a Conservative government with a slim majority comes at a time when the strategic challenges facing the United Kingdom have acquired new urgency. The election campaign itself was remarkable for the lack …
Sea State The 2015 Shangri-La Dialogue ran over the weekend, and maritime security issues featured prominently in the wake of escalating tensions in the South China Sea. In his keynote address, US Secretary of Defense …
The Asian security dialogue is about verbal jabs and thought balloons. And policy signalling and point scoring. And, ideally, some meeting of minds, reaching towards actual agreement. The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the 14th Asia Security …
The nature of ISIS’s online presence is intended to do three things. Firstly, and most importantly for the longevity of its existence, it’s intended as a mechanism to attract and recruit members to its ranks. …
In his undergraduate years the US Defence Secretary, Ashton Carter, did a double major in Medieval History and Physics. It was perfect preparation for Asia today—arcane and complex history speaking directly to modern mysteries. At …
The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore is the place to be this weekend. The stage is set for a fiery (cross) dialogue this year, with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently emphasising that the US won’t be recognising China’s …
It’s hard to say which is worse: the Navy’s attempt to hide its performance behind a cloak of secrecy or its abject failure to do so effectively. Back in late 2012, it was possible to …
Next month, Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo will visit Washington—one of several trips he’s made this year including to Beijing and Tokyo. With major powers in the Indo-Pacific seeking enhanced bilateral ties with Indonesia, Jakarta’s attention …
Was Australian strategy in the third quarter of the twentieth century, generally known as forward defence, a strategic disaster? After the fall of Saigon in 1975 the concept of ‘forward defence’ was widely discredited, along …
As the ‘war of words’ between China and the US in the South China Sea escalates, questions arise as to exactly what are Australia’s interests in this contested maritime zone. Bonnie Glaser has recently …
The Beat Agreement on firearms information The Law, Crime and Community Safety Council—a forum for national Attorneys-General, police and emergency services ministers—met last Friday to fast-track a new firearms database. The National Firearms Interface will …