Asia
Najib makes electoral hay from ASEAN-Australia Summit
“Cak!” says the Malaysian meme circulating on Twitter since Monday. The Malay expression is often used with children, and means something like “Surprise!”, or, better, …
Intellectual property: the big risk in US–China ties
It may be chaotic and confused, but the Trump administration is not entirely nuts. Expected to slam China with heavy penalties for appropriating the intellectual property of US…
Indonesia’s “Islamic diplomacy” seeks to broker an Afghan peace
Indonesia is set to host talks among Indonesian and Afghan Islamic clerics in Bogor, south of Jakarta, at the end of March. This dialogue, part of Indonesia’s bid to…
ASEAN Summit wrap: living with neighbours, managing China’s alternative, and bridges to somewhere
Democratic dividends
Sitting in the largely lifeless media centre of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s $56-million grand diplomatic gambit, it was hard not to be struck by…
China’s new aid agency
Last week, the Chinese Government announced its decision to establish China’s international development cooperation agency. As described by Beijing, the main purpose of the…
Sexual violence back to the fore in India
The brutalisation of women in India has increased alarmingly in recent times. Rape, molestation, and abuse have spiralled out of control, with the incidents of violence…
What DFAT really thinks of Australia joining ASEAN
Ahead of Malcolm Turnbull’s weekend confab for South East Asian leaders, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo reportedly thought it would be a “good idea” if Australia joined ASEAN.
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Australia, Asia, and the “Wealth of Nations”
How does Australia’s economy align with those of our Asian neighbours? What are the development challenges facing nearby South East Asian countries? And just how large is China’s…
Russian pragmatism on display in South East Asia
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Myanmar recently in a clear display of Moscow’s pragmatism.
Many Western observers, especially from the US, present Vladimir Putin…
Commentary
ASEAN summit is diplomatic coup for Australia
Originally published in Australian Financial Review
Aaron L Connelly