Asia
Commentary
China cannot have it both ways on trade
Beijing's tactic of using trade as a political stick against Australia will not impress the rest of the world. Originally published in the Australian Financial Review.
Fareed Zakaria on Australia’s “opportunity” between the US and China
Australia could model itself in part on Singapore to ensure it could still thrive in an Asian region increasingly dominated by China, according to Fareed Zakaria, the author and…
Port Adelaide to Shanghai: Sports diplomacy and the long road ahead
Trust between Australia and China is at a nadir. Little more than a year ago, the prospects for positive long-term engagement remained strong – not just for business ties, but…
Beijing’s line on the South China Sea: “Nothing to see here”
China’s strategy in responding to concerns about its intentions in the South China Sea is to claim that none of the activities, statements or behaviours that concern other…
Myanmar’s military-backed opposition party stares into political abyss
Myanmar’s main opposition party, the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), faces an uncertain political future after a dismal showing in this month’s…
In search of a middle-power rethink on North Korea policy
Given its many foreign policy priorities, there will be around six months before the Biden administration can turn to North Korea. Pyongyang will not wait patiently. If…
Australia’s mission in Afghanistan – what was it again?
Back in 2012, Afghanistan mostly only featured in Australian news bulletins at those moments an Australian soldier was killed. The war was otherwise a story in the background, a…
India heads towards economic autarky
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar this week made the clearest statement yet that India intends to head back down the road of economic autarky – for strategic…
Indonesian cleric re-enters the fray
The return of Jakarta’s notorious cleric Rizieq Shihab portends more upset in Indonesia’s devastating year of pandemic and recession. But for the thousands of Islamic Defenders…
Back to the future: Will Biden’s Asia policy come full circle?
Many of America’s friends in Asia have high expectations for the incoming administration of Joe Biden. Biden has, after all, signalled that the region will be a top priority and…