Asia
Gusmão, Alkatiri and Greater Sunrise: Timor-Leste calls parliamentary election
On 21 May, voters in Timor-Leste will head to the polls for the country’s fifth parliamentary election since 2002. Elections in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant democracies…
Chinese interference is dangerous – but also often ineffective and counterproductive
In a speech at the Australian National University last week, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil minced no words about how the government perceives the danger of foreign…
Wang Yi’s fruitless diplomacy in Europe
China has begun a diplomatic “charm offensive”, a seeming shift from the aggressive “wolf warrior” tone of recent years. Last month, Vice Premier Liu He travelled to Davos for the…
Commentary
Australia must come to the South-East Asia investment table
Australia has chided the US for its security-first view of South-East Asia. But this country suffers from the same syndrome of under doing investment relationships. Originally…
Will India’s G20 deliver more than hot air?
Some years ago I interviewed a senior Indian bureaucrat who, as small talk, lamented the G20 and the utter waste of time it was (“all those air miles, and for what? Nothing is…
Confronting the mounting human costs of Sri Lanka’s debt spiral
Sri Lanka turned 75 this month. Despite an unfolding economic and humanitarian crisis, the government chose to celebrate Independence Day on 4 February with an extravagant…
Indonesia’s uncertain climb up the nickel value chain
Indonesia has historically had limited success with industrial policy. That may now be changing, with recent interventionist policies targeting the nickel sector suggesting…
Indonesia’s own subs conundrum
This September will mark 50 years of formal diplomatic ties between Indonesia and South Korea.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already kicked off celebrations,…
India’s defence-diplomacy bet
The reported visit by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Australia, scheduled for late February, is indicative of the convergence of India’s diplomatic, commercial and…
Economic diplomacy: Banking on Asia is hard to escape
Underexposed
The slow Australian bank withdrawal from the Asia-Pacific has continued in the new year as the two institutions with the longest claimed heritage in the region…