2 Jul 2019
Book review: Hugh White’s How to Defend Australia
This quietly radical book calls on Australia to plan as if our US alliance will diminish to the point of vanishing.
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1 Jul 2019
Temper our optimism: the message from the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Osaka
Overshadowed by US-China tensions, the shared sense of purpose that formed the G20 has almost entirely dissipated. -
1 Jul 2019
The Republicans’ post-Iraq dilemma: the hollow threats
Not only is Donald Trump the boy who cried wolf, the US public will not support diving into a quagmire war of choice. -
1 Jul 2019
Jakarta’s air quality kills its residents – and it’s getting worse
Choked up citizens have had enough and are taking the government to court over Jakarta’s chronic smog. -
28 Jun 2019
China’s financial risk and lessons from the Baoshang Bank collapse
This incident has dented the Chinese government’s claim to be in control and the financial danger zone is approaching. -
28 Jun 2019
The Indo-Pacific is the New Asia
The terms of the debate might be finally settled, but the contest will go on. And on. -
28 Jun 2019
National security: Australians and their elites
A tour through this year’s Lowy Institute Poll to see where the public differs from political leaders. -
28 Jun 2019
Why Mahathir is unlikely to make Anwar his successor
Few thought the then 92-year-old return PM would be anything but a charismatic seat-warmer – except the man himself. -
27 Jun 2019
Australian attitudes to China shift: 2019 Lowy Poll
A deep dive into the 2019 Lowy poll reveals an across-the-board hardening of Australian attitudes towards China. -
27 Jun 2019
The Pacific: pinching pennies doesn’t make for policy longevity
Australians might be wary on aid but are far more alert to the region’s biggest security concern in climate change. -
27 Jun 2019
The Matildas and Socceroos vs. Marta and Messi
Australia’s growing interest and standing in the world game is opening unexpected and lucrative ties with Latin America. -
26 Jun 2019
Australian PM talks US China tensions ahead of the G20
In his first big foreign policy speech since the election Scott Morrison stressed Australia's commitment to free trade. -
26 Jun 2019
Aid links: labouring along the Belt and Road, carbon cash, more
Cuba’s revolutionary struggle, looking back at three decades development work, and stories from the aid sector. -
26 Jun 2019
Are Australians more worried about climate change or climate policy?
Climate change is again on the public mind but this didn’t translate to a strong message at the ballot box for action. -
26 Jun 2019
The polls were wrong, but here’s our poll, and why you should read it
Election pollsters must deal with tricky challenges but issues polls – such as the Lowy Institute Poll – are different. -
25 Jun 2019
It’s not just melting glaciers that endanger the Mekong and its region
The wash of sediment downstream is crucial for the health of the river – and with it the economies it spans. -
25 Jun 2019
Osaka G20: finding the right beat for hard conversation
Summits are too often harshly judged on what they deliver now rather than the agenda set for the future. -
25 Jun 2019
Seychelles: life after the boss
India and China are competing for influence in the Indian Ocean nation while the long shadow of a past ruler recedes. -
24 Jun 2019
Iran: Australia’s deliberate ambiguity
Even without direct conflict, Washington’s tensions with Tehran pose an awkward alliance challenge for Canberra. -
24 Jun 2019
The transformative potential of big data
But collecting ever more information might just end up posing ever more difficult questions. -
21 Jun 2019
Australia’s aid in PNG: the need for a gendered approach
Tackling endemic domestic violence and the lack of women in parliament should be renewed as a focus across the Pacific. -
21 Jun 2019
Five factors will decide the survival of the US-led alliance system
In the Asia-Pacific, we know the questions asked of the San Francisco System. We just don’t know the answers. -
21 Jun 2019
Accountability for flight MH17: a long and winding road …
Trials in absentia are problematic, but as with the Lockerbie trial, the quest for justice will be arduous and complex. -
20 Jun 2019
Jokowi and Modi’s budding bromance
With both leaders re-elected and with shared goals, the challenge is to ensure Indonesia and India remain firm friends. -
20 Jun 2019
Economic diplomacy: G20 warms up, the China drip and open trade talks
Could Japan’s Abe Shinzo – yes, Abe Shinzo – use his personal clout to give the flatlining G20 some new direction? -
20 Jun 2019
The challenge to legal abortion in the Trump era is global
Alabama’s new anti-abortion law might be extreme but resurgent attacks on legal abortion are widespread. -
19 Jun 2019
The limits of unilateral action against Iran
Washington is finding maximum pressure campaigns have limitations and bringing along friends and allies could help. -
19 Jun 2019
Pacific links: Paladin problems persist, climate warriors, more
Manus Island contract trouble, New Zealand’s cash splash for defence, and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
19 Jun 2019
Australia should pursue opportunities in a booming Bangladesh
It’s wise to recall East Asia was unsettled and dangerous only a few decades ago, yet now drives Australia’s prosperity. -
19 Jun 2019
Morsi’s fate a reminder of power realities in Egypt
Mohamed Morsi was blind to the certainty that Egypt’s military will not tolerate challenges to its ultimate authority. -
18 Jun 2019
Book review: The Great Successor
Tracing the life of Kim Jong-un delivers a captivating account of a chubby, cartoonish dictator that graces the screen. -
18 Jun 2019
Are we ready for a rare earths trade war?
As China holds extraordinary power over material essential to high-tech products, Australia is key to diversification. -
18 Jun 2019
Episode 3 of Rules Based Audio, “The Propaganda Department”, out now
The New York Times’ Beijing correspondent Chris Buckley is my guest on Rules Based Audio this week. -
18 Jun 2019
The bad news for press freedom in India
Fears of arrest, or worse, have spilled over into widespread self-censorship despite a burgeoning media landscape. -
17 Jun 2019
The deeper malaise in Hong Kong’s civil service
<p>The political capture of once neutral institutions of government should be just as alarming.</p> -
17 Jun 2019
Hong Kong climbdown eases external pressures on China
Beijing is fighting many fires at once, so taking the heat out of Hong Kong will suit Xi Jinping. -
17 Jun 2019
Yemen conflict: why a British court ruling could matter for Australia
A legal challenge over UK arms sales to Yemen combatants could put further pressure on Australia’s defence exports. -
14 Jun 2019
Umbrella Movement 2.0 exposes flaws in “one country, two systems”
Even more than the last pro-democracy demonstrations, at stake is Hong Kong’s future with common law at its heart. -
14 Jun 2019
Oman: credibility gulf will test White House
The US was quick to blame Iran for the oil tankers stricken in the Oman Gulf, yet will Donald Trump convince the world? -
14 Jun 2019
Baby milk and tantrums after Chinese ships show the flag in Sydney
Plenty of real tensions exist in Australia-China relations and media myth-making doesn’t help escape misunderstanding. -
13 Jun 2019
Why China’s rulers won’t admit they could be wrong
By never conceding a mistake – whether over Tiananmen or now in Hong Kong – the cost is a loss of people’s trust. -
13 Jun 2019
Maybe Australia should donate a warship to Sri Lanka
Far from surplus or scrap, the navy’s last Adelaide Class frigates are strategic assets that can still serve a mission. -
13 Jun 2019
The “khaki cavalcade” dilemma when soldiers become public servants
A second career for professional military veterans is not antithetical to the idea of civilian control of defence. -
12 Jun 2019
A chance to “step up” to support girls’ education in Solomon Islands
Barely one in ten girls graduate high school in one of Australia’s closest neighbours, yet the barriers can be overcome. -
12 Jun 2019
Aid links: the cost of a missing shipping container full of cash, more
Links and stories from the aid and development sector. -
12 Jun 2019
That Trump phone call to Australia and what it means to refugees today
Secret “swaps” might have led the US President to hang up on Malcolm Turnbull but the principle of the deal must stand. -
11 Jun 2019
En masse Muslim resignations a setback for healing in Sri Lanka
The Muslim community is a vital to combatting terrorism and promoting social harmony so alienating them makes no sense. -
11 Jun 2019
It’s time for Australia to scale up its energy diplomacy
A huge transformation of global energy production and consumption is underway but sorely needs international governance. -
10 Jun 2019
Public holiday: Queen’s Birthday weekend
We’re taking a day off. Normal publishing will resume on Tuesday. -
7 Jun 2019
Fierravanti-Wells’ outburst tells more than just a China story
A Liberal senator’s spectacular break with party discipline shows differences on Beijing cut across partisan lines.