Asia
A bugle for bigotry: does hate speech in Australia resonate in Asia?
Racism and hate speech have certainly been much discussed in Australia and the area seems to have become a grey area for many politicians who see it as too prominent and…
Japan: grasping for hope in a new imperial era
Japan has three New Year’s Days this year. 1 January, the calendar new year was the obvious beginning, then followed 1 April, the start of the financial and academic year that is…
The chance for Australia to urge ASEAN to act on the Rohingya crisis
This week, diplomats from Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will gather in Malaysia for the 31st ASEAN-Australian Forum. Even with the Australian government…
Tsai wins US sympathy, but what about Taiwan’s voters?
With presidential elections set for January 2020, the race for Taiwan’s top job is getting under way, and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen is feeling the heat.
Confronted by low…
Economic diplomacy: ASEAN trade, BRI deals and ageing Asia
When the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry surveyed its members last year about their use of trade agreements, the ASEAN-Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement…
Sri Lanka attacks: Still many puzzles to solve
It is very early in the aftermath of the Sri Lanka terrorist attacks and like all such attacks, more information will emerge in the coming days and weeks. But a few early…
Seeing what you want in Belt and Road
China’s Xi Jinping recently completed a high-profile trip to Europe. In Italy, Xi and his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte last month signed a non-binding memorandum…
Don’t rely on luck: making the most of the FTA with Indonesia
The Australia Indonesia free trade agreement presents an opportunity to strengthen relations between the two countries, but is Australia ready?
Talks about a free trade agreement…
US-Taliban negotiations: marginalising women is no path to peace
There are major problems with the current negotiations over Afghanistan, underway since last year between the United States with the Taliban in an attempt to find a peaceful…
Coal comfort: Australia-India ties after the elections
In an odd quirk of timing, this year Australia and India’s elections will run in parallel. On 11 April, Scott Morrison made the trip to Canberra’s Government House and the…