Asia and Pacific
What sort of power does Japan want to be?
Hugh White graciously flags my assessment of Japan as he tries to make sense of Chinese policy toward Tokyo. He is right: my 'analysis does lend support to the idea that Japan…
What Beijing fears most: Intra-Asian balancing
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a rising China, in possession of a modernising military, must be in want of a non-militarised Japan. So is Beijing being foolish by…
China's strategy to sow distrust of Japan
Promoting mutual distrust in the Asia Pacific now appears central to Chinese strategy. As Hugh White has argued persuasively, China seeks greater influence in Asia through…
Relax, Korea is not drifting toward China
Perhaps inspired by the centenary of World War I, this year has provoked a lot of clamouring about shifting security in Northeast Asia. The general vibe is that Japan's Article 9 …
MH17: Could a re-energised Europe rescue the Obama Doctrine?
It is always morbid to talk of what ground nations might gain from disasters such as the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, but international politics has never been a…
Alliances in Asia: South Korea unlikely to be lost
'Washington, you're on your own' is the gist of a recent piece by Stephen Walt, who assesses that Europe would have no dog in an Asian fight and will therefore distance itself…
Does Abbott understand the China challenge?
Sam Roggeveen says that Mr Abe's visit last week, and Julie Bishop's interview with John Garnaut, show that the Abbott Government now accepts there is a serious strategic…
China promotes dialogue with US while clamping down at home
At the first day of the annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing yesterday, China's leaders spoke of the importance of frank discussion for solving disputes. …
Abe's Canberra speech: Dispelling doubts
Prime Minister Abe's carefully crafted speech to the Australian parliament gave credence to Prime Minister Abbott's much tut-tutted claim that Japan is Australia's best friend in…
Middle powers in Asia: The limits of realism
In the world of international relations theory, the realist paradigm reigns supreme. In large part, this is because it has core features that exert strong appeal beyond the…