ASPI’s newly expanded China Defence Universities Tracker reveals how leading Chinese research institutions, including Shanghai University (SHU), are developing advanced uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to boost China’s military and territorial ambitions. SHU’s Jinghai series are …
Energy, not algorithms, will decide who leads in artificial intelligence. At the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh last week, the United States’ largest natural gas producer, EQT, made the case bluntly: the real contest is …
A review of Australia’s law on sub-national foreign relations has erred in suggesting that universities should face less scrutiny over their transnational education programs. The legislative proposal comes just as Australian universities and China’s party-system …
Australia should position itself as the trusted technology partner for core infrastructure across the Pacific. More than branding, this means being the default choice for governments weighing offers from multiple suitors with competing strategic and …
Australia has weathered economic coercion before. Beijing’s tariffs on wine and barley, informal bans on coal and lobster, and tightened import inspections weren’t just trade spats. They were deliberate, politically motivated measures designed to exploit …
ASPI has launched a major new expansion of its globally recognised China Defence Universities Tracker, a database that now includes more than 180 Chinese civilian and military research institutions. The tracker has become a go-to …
In an era of intensifying strategic competition, Australia’s national security is no longer a matter confined to the corridors of Canberra. It is a whole-of-nation challenge, demanding a coherent, unified strategy that aligns every level …
Russian drones that flew into Poland last week were almost certainly not there by accident. This was a probe of NATO’s defences, another example of how coercive revisionist powers escalate within the grey-zone spectrum to …
Australians expect the government to have the authority to intervene to keep communities safe during a bushfire, flood or cyclone. The same principle should apply in the digital age, where cyberattacks can cripple hospitals, shut …
Debate on Australia’s defence strategy often centres on the budget and the plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Both matter, but an equally critical pillar—partnerships—receives far less attention. The anticipated signing of what Papua New Guinea’s …
The rate of innovation and the economics of war in Ukraine are changing almost daily. Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 expecting a quick victory, with soldiers even bringing parade uniforms and leaving behind …
The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the United States on 10 September should jolt us all, regardless of politics or geography. But a key question is what we are jolted into doing. Should …
Policing in the Pacific has never been about propping up governments; it has always been about serving communities. Yet Beijing’s introduction of Mao-era community policing into Solomon Islands last week was a sharp departure from …
Within Southeast Asia, Indonesia stands out as the only country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations operating dedicated hospital ships. Its investment is thus particularly striking and highlights its approach to humanitarian readiness and …
China’s Salt Typhoon hacking campaign has taken on new urgency with revelations it may have compromised the data of millions of Australians. This demonstrates how cyber operations have evolved beyond merely gathering intelligence. When first …
It feels like we’re now living with a steady drumbeat of activity from China’s military that captures headlines and keeps analysts busy trying to figure out what it all means. Beijing’s latest offering, the 3 …
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has urged US President Donald Trump to use his influence—including through further sanctions pressure—to help free more than 1,200 political prisoners held by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, branding it …
When governments talk about digital transformation, the conversation usually turns to efficiency: less paperwork, faster services and fewer queues. That matters, but it misses the bigger picture. Digital government is an economic reform lever and …
It’s getting on for two years now, and the government is still not saying how it will reconfigure the Defence establishment’s land holdings, known as the Defence estate. It announced an audit of the Defence …
Autonomous submarines that Australia has launched into production are likely to relieve operational pressure on the country’s crewed submarines, undertake the most dangerous undersea missions, and present an enemy with greater risk of detection and …
