America's grand strategy in Asia: what would Mahan do?
In the Lowy Institute’s latest Asia security ‘Strategic Snapshot’, distinguished American Asia scholar and former senior White House official Dr Michael J. Green examines Asia’s changing power dynamics and asks what grand strategy 19th century geo-strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan, the father of US sea-power, would advocate for the United States if he were alive today. Responding to Power and Choice, the Lowy Institute’s flagship report on alternative Asian security futures, Dr Green makes a powerful case for a modern US Asia strategy drawing on Mahan’s insights and based on a strong forward maritime presence, strengthened cooperation with allies, a reaffirmed American commitment to free trade, and promotion of the values the United States shares with its key Asian partners.
Download item (1.1MB)
|
| The world in 2025 |
Our consensus future: the lay of the land in 2025 The global financial crisis is a powerful reminder of how bad we are at forecasting. Yet despite the scale of this recent shock, we continue to have a fairly strong consensus view of where the world economy is likely to head over the next couple of decades. ...
More |
|
|
| India-China tensions |
India must master the great game India needs to stay cool in the face of diplomatic and security provocations by China, argues International Security Program Director Rory Medcalf in this opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. Through development, deterrence and diplomacy New Delhi can be...
More |
|
 |
|
|
| China's competing international identities: the conflicted rising power |
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor David Shambaugh presentation As China emerges fully on the global stage, its impact is being felt in various dimensions -diplomatic, commercial, cultural, energy and environment, military-strategic, global governance, and other domains. Yet the international community remains very...
More |
|
|
| Is there an 'Obama doctrine' in US foreign policy? |
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Peter Beinart presentation A number of US presidents have come to be associated – whether or not it is strictly historically accurate – with certain foreign policy approaches.
Can we identify an 'Obama doctrine' in US foreign policy? The left believes that President Barack Obama...
More |
|
|
|
|
Into the Dragon’s den
While Chinese foreign investment into Australia has been the subject of a great deal of controversy, investment flows moving in the other direction have received much less attention. In a new Lowy Institute Analysis, John Larum reviews Australian foreign direct investment into China and discusses the related policy implications.
The paper reviews the Australia-China bilateral economic relationship, looks at the drivers of Australian FDI to China, examines China’s inward FDI policies, and reviews the potential role of a successful Australia-China Free Trade Agreement.
Download item (762KB)
|
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Robert Sutter presentation
Based on research including consultations with 180 officials in ten Asia-Pacific countries over the past six years, this careful and balanced assessment of the strengths and limitations of Asia’s rise, notably the rise of China, along with the strengths and weaknesses of the United States and its ongoing leadership position in the region, demonstrates that neither China nor any other power or coalition of powers has either the ability nor the will to challenge US leadership in the Asia-Pacific.
Dr Sutter's presentation can be heard here:
U.S. engagement with a rising Asia - MP3 (20MB)
More
|
Cheonan choices
The Lowy Institute’s MacArthur Foundation Asia Security Project is releasing a new publication series, ‘Strategic Snapshots’. The first Snapshot, Cheonan Choices, by Andrew Shearer and Malcolm Cook, highlights the strategic implications of North Korea’s sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, including strengthened security ties between South Korea, Japan and the United States, and concerns about China’s limited response to its ally’s reckless and provocative actions.
It advocates a range of policy responses, including: enhanced Australia-South Korea intelligence sharing and annual strategic discussions between Australian and South Korean foreign and defence ministers; bringing Japan and Australia into future anti-submarine exercises involving South Korea and the United States and establishing four-party security discussions; and an Australia-South Korea led exercise in support of the international Proliferation Security Initiative.
Download item (1.5MB)
|
Distinguished Speaker Series - Michel Sidibé presentation
 On Friday, 27 August 2010, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr Michel Sidibé, addressed the Lowy Institute for International Policy as part of our Distinguished Speaker Series.
In 1996, UNAIDS was established as a specialised agency of the United Nations to give policy guidance and advice on all aspects of the global struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Mr Sidibé's presentation can be heard here:
Global HIV/AIDS pandemic: challenge and response - MP3 (22MB)
More
|
Sweet and sour: Australian public attitudes towards China
 Foreign policy has hardly featured in the 2010 election campaign. That's a shame. Australia faces an increasingly uncertain international environment. One of the most pressing challenges facing the next government will be putting in place a durable policy framework to guide Australia's increasingly complex relationship with a rising China.
In this paper Andrew Shearer analyses changing public attitudes to China and the implications for policy.
Part 2 of the video is available by clicking here.
Download item (918KB)
|
Making international development assistance work
Australia’s aid program has been in the news lately, with calls for a wider public debate on the role of overseas aid. But public debate is being shaped by starkly contradictory arguments. An educated layperson who has just finished reading Jeffrey Sachs on The End of Poverty, for example, might think that aid can provide an important solution to the world’s problems. One who has just completed William Easterly’s The White Man's Burden or Dambisa Moyo’s Dead Aid, on the other hand, is likely to have quite different views on the utility of their country’s aid program. In a new Lowy Institute Analysis, Joel Negin provides a general introduction to the increasingly complex arena of international development assistance. Joel places the challenges of development assistance into a global context and provides an overview of global and Australian aid trends.
Download item (661KB)
|
Coral Sea neighbours - then and now
In this latest article on Pacific strategic issues, Army Visiting Fellow Nick Floyd argues that on the eve of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and New Caledonia, it is timely to consider the continuing strategic relevance of this near neighbour to Australia.
The article demonstrates New Caledonia's array of enduring discontinuities: throughout its history, New Caledonia's strategic overwatch of the South Pacific's approaches has contrasted with its isolation, while the archipelago's richness and diversity of resources are challenged by both its accessibility and vulnerability.
Australian Defence Force Journal, Issue 182, 2010, pp 34-43
Download item (840KB)
|
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Hugh Bradlow presentation
Success in the development and adoption of 'infotronic' technologies is going to be critical to the future of Australia's economic competitiveness and our standard of living. In this Wednesday Lowy Lunch presentation, Hugh Bradlow, Chief Technology Officer for Telstra, looked at the changes in ICT technologies over the next 10 years and the impact that they are likely to have on human behaviour and economic outcomes. He then addressed the perspective of Australia's competitive position in this new world.
Download his PPT here:
Australia's competitive position in the world of technology - PPTX (5MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
Australia's competitive position in the world of technology - MP3 (20MB)
More
|
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Joel Negin presentation
The debate about overseas aid’s effectiveness has until recently been largely confined to policy-makers but, over the past few weeks, the issue has featured prominently in the Australian media. In the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 4 August, Joel Negin examined the increasingly complex arena of international development assistance, putting the challenges of development assistance into a global context and aiming to widen the scope of the aid debate to a broader audience.
His presentation can be downloaded here:
Reviving dead aid - PPT (5MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
Reviving dead aid - MP3 (21MB)
More
|
Distinguished Speaker Series - Senator John Faulkner presentation
On Friday 16 July, Australia's Defence Minister, Senator John Faulkner, spoke at the Lowy Institute to discuss Australia's commitment and contribution to the ISAF effort in Afghanistan, in the context of Australian strategic objectives, operational developments and the challenge of capacity building.
His presentation can be heard here:
Afghanistan - Australia's commitment - MP3 (23MB)
More
|
Analysing 'A Careful War'
 'A Careful War’ was a compelling two-part documentary program which appeared on the ABC’s Four Corners earlier this month. Distinguished reporter Chris Masters undertook a ground-level exploration of one corner of the Afghanistan conflict. Focusing on the work of an Australian mentoring company, the program delivered important and moving perspectives on this complex battlefront from the soldiers who are fighting and the people they are fighting for.
On 30 July Chris Masters delivered a public lecture on the documentary.
The lecture can be heard here:
Analysing 'A Careful War' - MP3 (21MB)
Or viewed by clicking on the image above.
More
|
Distinguished Speaker Series - Richard McGregor
Over the last thirty years, China has emerged as a major political and economic power on the international stage, and the pace of this growth has been astonishing. Though China's presence in the global arena continues to grow rapidly, the most remarkable part of this country's transformation has been largely left untold – the central role of the Chinese Communist Party. In THE PARTY: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers former Financial Times China bureau chief Richard McGregor delves into the hidden world of the Communist Party, revealing how this ruling organisation works and how it has contributed to China's rise as a global superpower and rival to the United States.
His presentation can be heard here:
THE PARTY: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers - MP3 (21MB)
Download item (594KB)
|
Food for Thought - Mark Thirlwell presentation
 On 29 July in Canberra, in the latest in our Food for Thought series, Mark Thirlwell, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Economy program, looked at our post-GFC world and tried to answer the question, 'Just how much has changed as a result of the global financial crisis?'
His presentation can be heard here:
Our post-GFC world - MP3 (21MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo to the right.
More
|
How do we know when we are at war?
In this Lowy Institute perspective, former Australian Chief of Army Peter Leahy argues that Australia needs greater civilian engagement if it is to have a chance of prevailing in counter-insurgency warfare. His recommendations include parliamentary ratification of military deployments and a reset of military-media relations, including the appointment of an ombudsman to improve responsible media access to operational information.
Download item (347KB)
|
|
|
Email Updates
Register your details here to receive email updates from the Lowy Institute
|
|
