Asia
Policy Briefs
Chinese-Australians in the Australian Public Service
Underutilised in the Australian Public Service, Chinese-Australians are central to our China literacy and future engagement with the rising global superpower.
Obstacles and opportunities in Vietnam-Australia ties
Australia and Vietnam officially became strategic partners in 2018, promising to expand cooperation across multiple domains. Yet economic ties have grown slowly from a relatively…
Economic diplomacy: Global tax, education exports and Team Australia
Tax and spend
US President Joe Biden may be grabbing the global headlines by boosting world growth with his big spending and international security with his telephone diplomacy…
Legalising same-sex marriage in Japan
Last month, a Japanese district court for the first time ruled that not allowing same-sex couples to marry is unconstitutional. The verdict by the Sapporo District Court was a…
The big bark but small bite of China’s trade coercion
Beginning last May, China has hit Australia with a barrage of trade sanctions in a fairly overt attempt at economic coercion. It’s still early days, but it’s worth…
In Singapore, Covid vs privacy is no contest
Life in Singapore during the pandemic has become about tracking, tracking, tracking. Wherever one goes, one has to scan QR codes that log entry into malls, restaurants, shops and…
With Xinjiang cotton, Beijing is taking on the world
When China’s nationalist outrage machine took aim at Swedish fashion giant H&M in late March, one could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu. Campaigns to boycott…
Closer Taiwan-US ties are stabilising the region, not the opposite
Those who’ve been reading the news in the past few weeks could be forgiven for thinking we are on the precipice of war in the Taiwan Strait. Not only do some analysts argue that…
Podcasts
Lowy Institute Conversations: Nathan Law on exile, China and the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong
In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Director of the Southeast Asia Program Ben Bland sits down with Nathan Law to discuss exile, China’s repressive policies and the…
Understanding Bangladesh’s most potent religious opposition
India holds a special place in the history of the creation of Bangladesh. In 1971, under then–Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, India played a pivotal role in offering diplomatic,…