Asia
Waiting for North Korea to escalate
After North Korea conducted a spate of missile tests in January, it was argued that the country had ended its self-imposed 2018 moratorium on testing intercontinental ballistic…
China’s women “hold up half the sky”
Advocacy for women’s rights is on the rise in China, whether the censors like it or not. And feminism is gathering more support, highlighted in recent weeks across China’s…
Does the Quad Plus add up?
According to its members, the Quad – a group comprising the United States, Japan, India and Australia – seeks to present an inclusive vision for the Indo-Pacific region, and its…
Timor-Leste’s presidential election: Watching for generational change
Timor-Leste will hold its fifth presidential election on 19 March with an unprecedented 16 candidates competing to become the next head of state.
Most major political parties in…
Common enemies and instinctive friends
The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend. Likewise, there may not be an instinctive alignment of my two adversaries.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s reference to “arc…
Ukraine war triggers debate on Japan’s nuclear option
In the wake of the Ukraine conflict, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister and now head of the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has suggested that…
What the Ukraine crisis means for the Indo-Pacific
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has overturned the post-1945 international system.
Attention has focused on the sea change in European attitudes to security threats, the…
From Moon to Yoon: will the Korean peninsula see fire and fury return?
Conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol from the main opposition People Power Party has just defeated the liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to…
The Ukraine war could transform India’s military preparedness
India’s position on the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has elicited a surprising amount of scrutiny. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, India along with the…
Putin and Xi: Surviving Ukraine
Polling by Russian Field at the end of February indicated that a majority of Russians (59 per cent) supported Vladimir Putin’s “special military operations” in Ukraine. Yet, the…