21 Jun 2024
Malaysia: Pushing the chips in on neutrality
Growing US-China rivalry is not turning the Southeast Asian nation from a tradition of non-alignment.
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21 Jun 2024
Dictator on Day One? Trump’s grand plans for the federal bureaucracy
The aim to gut the US civil service and install political appointees could happen. But not overnight. -
20 Jun 2024
How Taiwan fights the disinformation war
Newly inaugurated president Lai Ching-te will need to collaborate inside and outside the state to counter China’s cognitive warfare. -
20 Jun 2024
Overcoming the deliberate legal ambiguity adopted by China’s coast guard
A new order is telling of Beijing’s selective and ongoing effort to undermine the law of the sea. -
20 Jun 2024
A Prabowo presidency will be good for Australian interests
Even though it might not be so for Indonesia’s democracy. -
19 Jun 2024
Nuclear subs, nuclear power … could nuclear weapons be next?
The Australian public has shown a willingness to go along with what was once unthinkable. -
19 Jun 2024
How to broaden the political gene pool
With the United Kingdom headed for the polls, Alastair Campbell has a few suggestions on what makes a good leader. -
19 Jun 2024
Is a new Australian police program what the Pacific needs?
Engagement on policing is crucial, but it must be regionally led. -
19 Jun 2024
Koreas policy: Sorting fact with fiction
You can’t understand a country without knowing the stories people like to invent. -
18 Jun 2024
Byte-sized diplomacy: Should Australia ban TikTok?
A new column to help understanding critical tech and national security. -
18 Jun 2024
Bonjour Bill? The endless speculation about political postings
Was former Labor leader Bill Shorten’s stint as Australia’s envoy to the Ukraine peace summit a dress rehearsal for a change in role? -
18 Jun 2024
The carbon sinks of Southeast Asia are in trouble
Global demand for palm oil and paper is threatening a fragile peatland ecosystem. International cooperation is needed now. -
17 Jun 2024
Halfway, right: Australia’s approach to the Indian Ocean
The dividing line that splits the Indian Ocean in two is a pragmatic acknowledgement of Australia’s resources and strategy. -
17 Jun 2024
India is totally slaying influencer diplomacy
Social media has changed the way people communicate, and public diplomacy has to keep pace. -
17 Jun 2024
2024 Southeast Asia Aid Map: Warning signs for the region
Declining levels of international financial support, especially for the clean energy transition, are cause for alarm. -
14 Jun 2024
Penny Wong defines Australia’s “national interests”
What happens when the Foreign Minister is asked to give meaning to a common political refrain? -
14 Jun 2024
Back to the future for the US State Department?
Biden’s repair job after Trump turmoil is far from complete. -
14 Jun 2024
Bhutan: Dispatch from the Hermit’s happy hills
Forests and foresight set an isolated nation apart. -
13 Jun 2024
When cyber defence involves attack: Issues for Australia
How do Australian businesses and corporations deal with unwanted intruders on their networks? Government needs to offer real remedies. -
13 Jun 2024
Who is Chinese Premier, Li Qiang?
Low expectations for China’s 2iC, in name at least, might miss the results of his quiet influence. -
13 Jun 2024
From global to regional: Australia’s focus narrows
The real question about Australian foreign policy is whether it is too narrow, not too broad. -
12 Jun 2024
Deterring China’s military violence against Australians
Options to respond should be made clear before the worst happens. -
12 Jun 2024
France’s legislative elections and complications for New Caledonia
There is only hope, however vain, that this move may provide space for calm reassessment of positions. -
12 Jun 2024
India’s election is done. What about running in the next one?
The results capture most attention. But bringing the tally together takes more resources than is commonly appreciated. -
11 Jun 2024
Rare earths vs rarer resources: Global ripples from Australia’s divestment decision
Climate change is a challenge China and the United States are fighting together, making technological cooperation key. -
11 Jun 2024
Myanmar’s war within a war: Informers and the trust deficit
In a country thick with spies and informers, suspicion can be crippling. History shows that confidence is hard to win back. -
11 Jun 2024
China’s contributions are a blind spot in global climate finance
Accounting for money from China and other non-traditional donors is vital to set a meaningful global target to assist developing countries. -
7 Jun 2024
The forgotten weapon of mass destruction
Preventing the spread of unconventional tools of warfare requires constant vigilance. -
7 Jun 2024
Malcolm Turnbull makes a call to global leaders with advice on Trump
Memories of an infamous falling-out have a former PM offering lessons. -
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6 Jun 2024
Modi 3.0: What India's election means for Australia and the world
Governing in coalition, the BJP may need to soften its hardline tactics to deepen ties with its strategic partners. -
6 Jun 2024
Zelenskyy put a spotlight on China’s Ukraine war problem: Defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, or Russian security?
Even a powerful state must make trade-offs in its foreign policy. -
5 Jun 2024
Free DFAT from “national interests” so that it can solve problems
Discussion of foreign policy always begins by identifying interests, but that’s less helpful than you might think -
5 Jun 2024
The China alibi
A geopolitical contest between the United States and China should not stop Australians assessing their own economic interests. -
5 Jun 2024
India’s proud history of anti-incumbency is back
The Australian government will be cheered by continuity. Indian voters, meantime, have pushed back against the strongman. -
4 Jun 2024
The brakes on Australia’s ambition with India
The biggest challenge is convincing the public to turn up the temperature on a lukewarm relationship. -
4 Jun 2024
The fight for freshwater in the Maldives
Climate change and population increases have made water scarcity a geopolitical issue. -
4 Jun 2024
Not in the same boat? Perceptions of the Australia-Philippines security partnership
The closer and growing defence ties between the countries doesn’t appear to have permeated the public mind yet. -
3 Jun 2024
Australians watching Pacific with concern and care
Chinese influence and Pacific migration pathways are on Australian minds this year, according to latest Lowy Institute Poll. -
3 Jun 2024
Clarity needed on a “capability gap”
Counting warships is only one measure of deterrence. An integrated force will be more lethal and that carries a cost. -
3 Jun 2024
Lowy Institute Poll: The world according to Australians
Looking over two decades of polling numbers, a nuanced view emerges about the changing international context. -
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31 May 2024
Fiji: Positioning and posturing on politicians pay
Drawing on past experience and that of neighbouring countries, MPs and ministers should not be determining their own salaries. -
31 May 2024
Southeast Asia after the shocks: Economic growth, but not as we know it
New Lowy Institute research shows the pandemic and Ukraine war have taken a toll, while the benefits from supply chains shifting out of China have so far been limited. -
30 May 2024
Fibs, squibs, and trading digs
Is it any wonder the public is often bemused about the merits of trade policy? -
30 May 2024
With balloons in the sky, North Korea keeps its feet on the ground
Just mind not to step in the smelly message. -
30 May 2024
Does India’s Act East Policy matter to Southeast Asia?
Ties with Malaysia make a powerful case study to assess regional ties with the South Asian giant. But others are doing better. -
30 May 2024
The message behind China’s high-profile “comfort women” lawsuit against Tokyo
Nationalism has a potent influence on historical memory – and this can skew in unexpected directions. -
29 May 2024
Water woes: Cambodia and Vietnam clash over the Funan Techo Canal
Environmental, economic and geopolitical concerns are all bound up in the latest tensions along the Mekong River. -
29 May 2024
Conscription doesn’t work for Australia
It’s not clear how any national service scheme works if it isn’t compulsory, and compulsion is politically poisonous.