19 Jun 2023
Will Modi charm again in Washington?
The Indian PM’s visit will see Biden embrace a polarising leader while trying to keep an influential diaspora onside.
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16 Jun 2023
Is US industrial policy headed in the wrong direction?
Washington’s geopolitical strategy threatens to entrench economic hierarchies and undermine the global green transition. -
15 Jun 2023
Washington’s difficult dance in the Middle East
The United States is recalibrating its strategy in the region and using history as a guide. -
15 Jun 2023
It’s time for South Korea to refocus on multilateral diplomacy
A new national security strategy stresses values-based diplomacy, but that can’t be at the expense of talking to China. -
13 Jun 2023
Shangri-La: A missed chance for US–China dialogue
But at least both sides recognised that the outbreak of a conflict would be “unbearable”. -
9 Jun 2023
The US steps up pressure on Bangladesh ahead of elections
Concerns about fostering democracy must also be considered alongside growing US strategic interests in the country. -
8 Jun 2023
Economic diplomacy: Duelling D-words to delineate China
Australia seems to be treading carefully around the G7’s agreement to de-risk dependence on the region’s biggest economy. -
6 Jun 2023
US-China: A Cold War lesson to apply “rules of the road” at sea
Soviet and American warships had a code to prevent dangerous encounters and the US and China should have the same. -
5 Jun 2023
Lessons from history: Comparing Australia’s response to war crimes with the United States
The fallout from the Ben Roberts-Smith case is only the beginning of a reckoning about justice in war. -
19 May 2023
Building a Quad that lasts to the next generation
Joe Biden won’t decide the future of the Quad. But he and the other engaged leaders can help foster it. -
17 May 2023
Biden’s trip cancellations reveal pitfalls of a crowded diplomatic calendar
Bailing on Australia and PNG highlights the growing risk of disappointment when leaders are clambering to summits here, there, everywhere. -
10 May 2023
Biden’s quiet economic revolution
The guiding hand of the state is back as geopolitics rules. -
28 Apr 2023
Marcos has turned the Philippines towards America – not without risks
An expanded US military presence will benefit efforts to stand up to China. But Filipinos are wary of the social cost. -
27 Apr 2023
Will US reassurance be enough to halt South Korea’s nuclear ambition?
Seoul has won extra support from Washington, but not for the goal of global disarmament. -
26 Apr 2023
Quad should ask ASEAN to a diplomatic dance
For all the talk of hedging, Southeast Asian nations have long worried about China’s ambition to dominate the region. -
19 Apr 2023
Hugh White on the choice facing Penny Wong
How long can the Foreign Minister talk of a multipolar order in Asia in a government working to bolster US strategic primacy? -
18 Apr 2023
Not the Indo-Pacific: a Melanesian view on strategic competition
The states of the southwest Pacific are not interested in a zero-sum contest between the United States and China. -
13 Apr 2023
Economic diplomacy: Counting the cost of decoupling
US-China tensions are disrupting economic links for other countries as new forecasts of slow growth make change harder. -
12 Apr 2023
Australia’s delicate dance with the United States and China
Could Canberra’s deft management of its Beijing relationship influence policy in Washington? -
4 Apr 2023
To help end war in Ukraine, the Quad should back India to engage Russia
India might be accused of playing both sides but also has the special relationships to lead a push towards a settlement. -
4 Apr 2023
North Korea keeps building more powerful weapons, with no end in sight
Diplomacy is desperately needed to avoid an irreversible escalation in nuclear capability and the excuse to use it. -
3 Apr 2023
What the Quad could learn from AUKUS
If the four powers decide to adopt a greater security role, they should go beyond empty signals. -
22 Mar 2023
AUKUS commits Australia to fight China if America does, simple
Whatever the flag, Washington would not sell nuclear-powered boats unless it could count on them in war over Taiwan. -
17 Mar 2023
Is a stable Afghanistan where China, Russia and the US cooperate?
Three of the world’s most influential powers have skin in the game when it comes to preventing another civil war. -
16 Mar 2023
What went right in Iraq
Twenty years on, the former Coalition Provisional Authority head reflects on his year in charge of the country. -
14 Mar 2023
Japan and South Korea: a logical but uneasy alignment
Is a compensation deal to right colonial-era wrongs part of a strategic shift towards rapprochement? -
10 Mar 2023
AUKUS: Asking a veteran submariner what to think
What are the big issues still lurking beneath the surface of the AUKUS debate? -
2 Mar 2023
AUKUS and intellectual property
In an era of economic entanglement, IP theft has the potential to threaten democracy. Governments need to be vigilant. -
15 Feb 2023
Balloon goes up for Washington’s “decisive decade”
Matching it with Beijing will take far more attention than the United States has so far devoted. -
15 Feb 2023
Reset in US–Philippines relations tells of yet another China fumble
The 180-degree reversal in Manila’s foreign policy was a consequent evolution of the previous regime’ approach. -
6 Feb 2023
The big picture: five lessons for five years of the Asia Power Index
Superpower rivalry matters – but don’t be blinded to the role of smaller players in a region of many contests. -
6 Feb 2023
Chinese grey zone spy balloons over the American heartland
High-flying espionage went out of fashion in the 1960s, but the most recent sky crisis has reignited tensions. -
2 Feb 2023
Women leaders: not so poles apart
In seemingly different settings, Jacinda Ardern and Nancy Pelosi confronted much the same challenges. -
26 Jan 2023
Sanctions help bring accountability in Bangladesh
Extrajudicial killings and disappearances have dropped dramatically, with the government aware the world is watching. -
16 Jan 2023
Towards meaningful Quad cooperation on intelligence
Collaborative AI capabilities would allow the partners to deepen military cooperation, should leaders choose that step. -
29 Dec 2022
Pop culture politics: How to Interpret 2022
“Soft power” or reputation risk, the cross-over of popular entertainment and global politics is never far from the news. -
19 Dec 2022
A focused direction for the Quad
Doubling-down on existing initiatives – rather than new goals – will see the grouping deliver tangible public goods. -
9 Dec 2022
US-Australia alliance: beyond sentiment
Of supporters or sceptics alike, new research shows most Australians view the alliance via a cost-benefit analysis. -
8 Dec 2022
AUSMIN: the submarine conundrum
It’s a big challenge to manage the ambition for nuclear-powered subs and still juggle other crucial defence decisions. -
6 Dec 2022
The US may force the Philippines’ (willing) hand
A visit by VP Kamala Harris has revitalised a military pact and shown how Bongbong Marcos views America’s regional role. -
1 Dec 2022
Economic diplomacy: Scoring goals outside the stadium
Shifting geopolitics and economics make picking the diplomatic champion from the Qatar World Cup more challenging. -
21 Nov 2022
Will the new US Congress still pay for its Pacific promises?
The Biden administration has staked $810 million on a regional strategy and now must ensure bipartisan support. -
10 Nov 2022
Nationalist propaganda at a screen near you
Recent cinematic offerings from the United States, China and India are straight out of the central casting handbook. -
9 Nov 2022
Countdown to Asia’s summit season
Conflict in Myanmar and Ukraine against a backdrop of US‑China tension – a crowded agenda will unfold in coming weeks. -
4 Nov 2022
Solutions to the North Korea issue no longer include denuclearisation
A minimalist approach based on arms control, risk reduction and deterrence is what’s needed right now on the Peninsula. -
4 Nov 2022
The real message B‑52s send from northern Australia
Given distances and demands on crew and aircraft, a US bomber fleet near Darwin amounts to only modest change. -
2 Nov 2022
B-52 bombers only part of a very long Australian story
A revamp of RAAF Tindal for the nuclear-capable aircraft creates opportunities well beyond military confidence building. -
27 Oct 2022
The remote Marshall Islands complicate US Pacific policy
A sand-rimmed paradise with a long nuclear history has a surprising amount of clout in the Washington vs Beijing game. -
24 Oct 2022
Where the chips fall: in containing China, the US can leave Australia out
Australia’s interest won’t be served by supporting US efforts to build a high fence around China’s technology industry. -
24 Oct 2022
US midterms: How Republican wins (or losses) could shape Asia policy
A form guide to the key races that will determine what role Republicans play in the US approach to regional challenges.