19 Jan 2022
Mongolia suffers under China’s zero Covid policy
Small and landlocked, the Central Asian nation struggles to balance its economy with essential public health measures.
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18 Jan 2022
Australia has a solution to Indonesia’s soaring food prices
As Indonesia takes the G20 presidency solving the country’s food security crisis should be top of the agenda. -
18 Jan 2022
Bang for buck: Getting the most out of Pacific Islander remittances
Cash sent by family abroad is essential for local economies but doesn’t come cheap. -
17 Jan 2022
South Korea’s embrace of Australia goes beyond China
Seoul confronts a panoply of regional challenges – not least that from the other big trading partner in Asia. -
17 Jan 2022
Who cares about the Australia-China relationship?
A public understanding of the friction between Canberra and Beijing must transcend party politics. -
14 Jan 2022
Novak Djokovic – a symbol for anti-vaxxers?
The ruling to deport the tennis ace could hamper his career but transform him into a different type of star. -
14 Jan 2022
Australia should build its green infrastructure presence
The region is taking an increasingly dim view of efforts seeking to protect the fossil fuel trade. -
14 Jan 2022
Whoever controls the spice, controls the universe
From missile guidance systems to electric car batteries, China’s domination of rare earths has global implications. -
13 Jan 2022
The geopolitics of aiding the Taliban’s Afghanistan
Humanitarian assistance must be disentangled from concepts of political legitimacy in the country’s unfolding crisis. -
13 Jan 2022
Peace and security are not the same thing
Adding counter-terrorism tasks to UN peacekeeping mandates will likely make an already difficult job much harder. -
12 Jan 2022
The power of mercy and the death penalty in PNG
The country’s capital punishment laws need a reset, but there are better alternatives than clemency. -
12 Jan 2022
History lessons from “The Great Crash”?
Optimists always get more airplay than spoilsports predicting an end to the good times. But hindsight tells all. -
11 Jan 2022
When no shots are heard around the world
The saga of Novak Djokovic’s visa has galvanised global attention – with a result that still hangs in the balance. -
11 Jan 2022
Japan and Australia ties blossom
A new defence pact marks a stronger partnership for countries driven together by shared values and regional dynamics. -
11 Jan 2022
Fear, loathing and infighting in Kazakhstan
Media blackouts and influence from the Kremlin are stifling anti-government protests in the Central Asian republic. -
11 Jan 2022
Kip-to-currency?
One of Asia’s tiny communist nations is looking at blockchain to fuel an economic boom. -
10 Jan 2022
Koreas: A tale of two Olympics
Moon Jae-in won’t finish his presidency with the podium finish he’d dreamed of four years ago. -
10 Jan 2022
Indian Ocean step-up
India is in the driver’s seat to build new security structures in the region, but it can’t do it alone. -
31 Dec 2021
Taliban takeover – Best of The Interpreter 2021
The US withdrawal was telegraphed months beforehand, but the speed of the Taliban advance still came as a shock. -
30 Dec 2021
The junta takes back Myanmar – Best of The Interpreter 2021
A coup in February sparked countrywide protests and challenged the region to respond. -
29 Dec 2021
An AUKUS surprise – Best of The Interpreter 2021
An extraordinary decision put Australia at the centre of regional defence debates. -
28 Dec 2021
China’s economic punishment – Best of The Interpreter 2021
Beijing sought to make Australia pay as a diplomatic freeze deepened. But the sanction didn’t entirely go to plan. -
27 Dec 2021
A climate changed – Best of The Interpreter 2021
An economic shift ahead of crucial negotiations, yet still the world struggled with the consequences of global warming. -
24 Dec 2021
Covid-19 and -20 and -21 … Best of The Interpreter 2021
As vaccines rolled out, hope that pandemic lockdowns would end proved short-lived as variants took hold. -
24 Dec 2021
Filipino journalists can only take risks equal to their protections
The reporters most vulnerable to life-threatening harm are either low-profile or based in provinces – especially both. -
23 Dec 2021
Top 10 of 2021: The most-read articles on The Interpreter
Covid, coups, LBGT rights in Asia, and Afghanistan’s collapse: articles that drew the most eyeballs this past year. -
23 Dec 2021
What’s the worst that could happen? Tackling existential risk
A pandemic is bad. But humanity is inviting greater dangers by toying with technologies that could end the species. -
23 Dec 2021
Myths that stir trouble in the South China Sea
A major shipping route, yes, but vital? False claims about the value of these waters only make diplomacy harder. -
23 Dec 2021
Pakistan and China: An unhappy union in Gwadar
Protests against Beijing’s strategic investments in Balochistan are only the latest in a long line of grievances. -
22 Dec 2021
India remains divided about AUKUS
Something about the new Australia, UK and US deal suggests it could detract from the value and usefulness of the Quad. -
22 Dec 2021
That 70s show for an Interpreter 2021 favourite
No, not a television re-run. A book about the enduring power of personality over world politics. -
22 Dec 2021
Showcasing PNG, beyond expos and summits
A lack of strategic diplomacy and targeted foreign policy are selling the country’s immense potential short. -
21 Dec 2021
India’s beauty and the beast
From UN seats and economic rebounds to Miss Universe wins and Olympic golds, it’s been quite a year. -
21 Dec 2021
Ear worms for The Interpreter’s 2021 favourites
Podcasts-a-plenty for the end of year break, a new beat for world politics. -
21 Dec 2021
Economic diplomacy: Retro shopping beats the supply chain crisis
WWW Santa beware. The gift trade is still subject to the old-school padded tromp of shoe leather. -
20 Dec 2021
European security: Putin ups the ante with NATO
Why is Moscow making proposals it must know are unacceptable? -
20 Dec 2021
How New Zealand recognises the people there first: 2021 favourites
New Zealand is taking its indigenous identity to the world in a way that will no doubt bolster its reputation. -
20 Dec 2021
Hun Sen’s all-encompassing rule of Cambodia
The strongman has anointed his son as successor – after an election, of course. -
17 Dec 2021
Solomons strife demands a development re-think
Australia’s security-driven approach is regularly counterproductive. -
17 Dec 2021
The multilateralism menu: The Interpreter’s 2021 favourites
Want a slice of the regional pie? Or to understand the spaghetti strands of national ambition? We’ve just the dish. -
17 Dec 2021
China, Australia, and the Internet of Things
Australia must learn to manage, rather than avoid, the dilemmas of a global reliance on Chinese digital networks. -
16 Dec 2021
Australia’s “China” blinders on South Korea
By focusing on the elephant, Australia risks misunderstanding the room. -
16 Dec 2021
Team Pacific serves up a revolution: Interpreter 2021 favourites
A reality TV cooking show that is about so much more than simply food. -
16 Dec 2021
Common prosperity meets the Belt and Road
Xi’s emphasis on the “real-economy” could also engender a qualitative shift in the types of investments Beijing makes. -
15 Dec 2021
Merkel mark II?
He’s not called the Scholzomat for nothing, but there are radical reforms on the new German chancellor’s agenda. -
15 Dec 2021
Red obsession: The Interpreter’s 2021 favourites
A cult 1980s film serves as a useful lesson on how to deal with China’s wine tariffs. -
15 Dec 2021
Crisis stability as a priority in US-China relations
Arms control with China will look very different from arms control with Russia. -
14 Dec 2021
From Brentford to the world: The Interpreter’s 2021 favourites
Watching his hometown team take on the English Premier League after a seven-decade hiatus was worth the wait. -
14 Dec 2021
Why isn’t Australia putting diplomacy first?
Canberra is out of step with its key allies with one of the most potent tools its international arsenal. -
14 Dec 2021
Lights! Camera! Action! A new Hollywood
China’s love of American cinema is pushing the limits on a film industry that is highly regulated by the state.