Asia
No breakthrough in sight for EU-China leaders’ meeting
2020 was supposed to be a transformational year in China’s relations with the European Union. Next to the annual bilateral summit, an extraordinary gathering of all 27 EU…
Tackling environmental security threats in the Indian Ocean
The explosion and fire on board a supertanker off Sri Lanka this month, following closely on last month’s disastrous oil spill in Mauritius, serve as a reminder that environmental…
For real peace, Afghanistan needs a Plan B
In a recent op-ed in the Washington Post, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani outlined what he saw as the objective for his country: “a sovereign, united, democratic Afghanistan at…
Indonesia – a country of disappointments
Ben Bland paints an insightful and intriguing portrait of Indonesia's leader in his new book, Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the struggle to remake Indonesia. Jokowi, as…
Commentary
Scott Morrison must balance our role between great powers
Originally published in The Australian.
Economic diplomacy: Borders, barriers and obstacles
Homeward bound
While Australia’s embrace of economic sovereignty has so far involved more rhetoric than real financial resources, cash incentives for reshoring manufacturing are…
Rising protests and a sinking economy spell trouble in Thailand
As Thailand’s youth continue to protest against the country’s establishment, the government faces double trouble, with an economy in freefall.
At the heart of the protests are…
Commentary
Journalists are just pawns in China’s bigger game
Originally published in The Australian.
Podcasts
COVIDcast: Ben Bland On Indonesian President Joko Widodo, A Man Of Contradictions
In this episode of COVIDcast, Hervé Lemahieu, Director of the Asian Power and Diplomacy Program at the Lowy Institute, sat down with Ben Bland to discuss his new book.
Debunking the myth of China’s “debt-trap diplomacy”
Against the fear and distrust that increasingly characterise Australia’s relationship with China, the Belt and Road Initiative looms large. Australian politicians from both major…