Articles | Lowy Institute

30 Jan 2020
Papua New Guinea

Bougainville
The Bougainville referendum: Celebrations turn to sadness and hope

Kylie McKenna

The emotional responses to the vote offer a more nuanced picture than an emphasis on hypothetical worst-case outcomes.
30 Jan 2020
United States
Trump’s State of the Union: A preview

Robert E Kelly

State of the Union speeches are traditionally dull affairs. This one could be the most bizarre in US history.
29 Jan 2020
Global Economy

China

Coronavirus
Coronavirus: One step forward, one step back for the global economy

Roland Rajah

Beyond the human toll, fears will stop people heading to shops, eating out, travelling, and cause other consumer costs.
29 Jan 2020
United States

China
The real US–China competition: Competing theories of influence

Ali Wyne , Michael J. Mazarr

Both can be coercive, but the US is in danger of surrendering what is arguably the more sustainable model of influence.
29 Jan 2020
Aid links: Brain drain, big data, demographic traps, and more

Alexandre Dayant

Links and stories from the aid and development sector.
29 Jan 2020
Global Economy

Australia

India
Scott Morrison wasn’t at the Raisina Dialogue, but his ideas were

Darren Lim

The political centre-right is seeking to redefine what “internationalism” means with an emphasis on sovereignty.
28 Jan 2020
South China Sea

Asean

China

Vietnam

Malaysia
Forging consensus in the South China Sea

Michael Nguyen

By backing each other’s claims, a united Southeast Asian front would be difficult for Beijing to divide and conquer.
28 Jan 2020
Global Economy

United States

Trade

Australia

China
The US is elbowing Australia and allies in a race for the China market

John Edwards

Australia needs to be very wary of how Donald Trump’s “unbelievable deal” will play out.
28 Jan 2020
Diplomacy

Australia

Iran
Q&A: Jason Rezaian on Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s nightmare in Iran

Daniel Flitton

The American journalist – also once a prisoner in Tehran – wants Australia to push to end Iran’s state hostage-taking.
27 Jan 2020
India
What the Raisina Dialogue tells about India’s view of the world

Natasha Jha Bhaskar

Forging consensus on global problems is key, and the best way to find common ground is by talking.
27 Jan 2020
Administration
Public holiday: Australia Day

The Interpreter

We’ve gone exploring.
24 Jan 2020
United Nations

Myanmar
For Rohingya, the long distance between law and justice

JJ Rose

This week’s ruling at the International Court of Justice delivered a stern rebuke, but it won’t stick.
24 Jan 2020
China

Coronavirus
Wuhan coronavirus: How upfront has Beijing been?

Richard McGregor

So far, to authoritarian type – placing strict controls on information in the name of maintaining stability.
24 Jan 2020
United States

Iran

Russia
Russia makes its presence known in Iran crisis

Alexey Muraviev

Through military and diplomatic manoeuvres, Russia has signalled its stance on further US intervention in the region.
24 Jan 2020
Review
Book Review: Can we do good without it really costing anything?

Paul Ronalds

To be seduced by “MarketWorld” thinking is one thing – to grapple with how to break the cycle is quite another.
23 Jan 2020
Climate change
Learning from extinction

Daniel Flitton

With the spotlight on animals’ fate in Australia’s raging bushfires, perhaps a North American experience has answers.
23 Jan 2020
China

Solomon Islands
China has Honiara onside but hasn’t yet won over Solomon Islands

Denghua Zhang , Derek Gwali Futaiasi

Consternation about the diplomatic switch from Taiwan shows how local politics can have international ramifications.
23 Jan 2020
India's Navy

India
India: Navigating the straits of capability

Prakash Gopal

The Indian Navy’s ambition to be a “net security provider” is going nowhere as long as it lacks the proper resources.
22 Jan 2020
India
In India, the link between sexual violence and economic slowdown

Aarti Betigeri

Sometimes, seemingly unrelated events can shed light on larger issues plaguing a society.
22 Jan 2020
United States

Iran

Iraq

Kurdistan
The Kurds are again caught in the crossfire, now between US and Iran

Lauren Williams

Yet the Kurds may gamble to play the two adversaries off against each other to finally achieve an independent state.
22 Jan 2020
Pacific Islands
Pacific links: China’s “common interests”, bushfire relief, more

Alexandre Dayant

Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region.
22 Jan 2020
Japan

Climate change
Japan has struck low in climate ambition

Daniel Hurst

Vague timeframes and inadequate emission reduction targets leave plenty of wiggle room in Abe Shinzo’s claims to lead.
21 Jan 2020
Global Economy

Pacific Islands
Pacific development outlook for 2020

Alexandre Dayant

Following on last year’s growth, the region will continue to see both challenges and cause for optimism.
21 Jan 2020
China's Economy

China
Reports of China’s economic death are greatly exaggerated

Stephen Grenville

No-one denies a transition from poverty to riches is littered with traps and dead ends – but nor is failure inevitable.
21 Jan 2020
Global Economy

Southeast Asia
The real winners in the trade war might be found in Southeast Asia

Simon Roughneen

The latest figures suggest strife in Hong Kong has also given a boost to the region’s economic fortunes.
20 Jan 2020
Timor-Leste
In Timor-Leste, failed budget sparks a political crisis

Michael Leach

Instability looms as the largest party in the governing coalition abstains on the budget proposed by its own government.
20 Jan 2020
United States

North Korea
Expect more hype, little progress on North Korea this year

Robert E Kelly

Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in are eager for a deal, but the current stalemate is likely to continue.
20 Jan 2020
Europe

China

Germany
No end in sight for Germany’s troubles with Huawei

Björn Alexander Düben

As other European capitals look for a cue, German politicians are sharply divided over the Chinese tech company.
17 Jan 2020
United Nations
At the UN, paying dues and having a say

Carlisle Richardson

Financing the world body is complicated and contentious. Losing the right to vote can be a calamity.
17 Jan 2020
United States

US Elections
In Democratic debate, big distinctions but little difference

Erin Hurley

In the final debate among US presidential candidates before primaries begin, foreign policy took a rare front seat.
17 Jan 2020
Review
Book review: Where Power Stops

Alasdair Nicholson

Replete with wry observations, this quick read will appeal to political insiders – and so achieves less as a result.
16 Jan 2020
China
Deng’s pragmatism is China’s poison pill

Shirley Ze Yu

Having allowed the ends to justify the means, moral challenges subsume China, and Xi’s cure is orthodox communism.
16 Jan 2020
Australia

China

Climate change
Economic diplomacy: Two big-C issues

Greg Earl

China and climate change are new realities both putting Australia to the test.
16 Jan 2020
Myanmar

China
What Xi wants in Myanmar may not be what he gets

Michael Sainsbury

China is making huge investments in its Southeast Asian neighbour, but peace will cost more than that.
16 Jan 2020
Defence & Security

Iran
The impact of accuracy

Victor Abramowicz

Iran’s demonstration in last’s week strike at US bases will have effects around the world.
15 Jan 2020
Taiwan
Taiwan voters reject Beijing, but not populism

Nick Aspinwall

Tsai Ing-wen’s party used fear of Beijing to see off a weak opponent. She’ll have much to prove during her second term.
15 Jan 2020
China

Vietnam

Laos
Another dam on the Mekong

Milton Osborne

In the face of environmental destruction and threats to livelihoods, a new dam project is being pushed through in Laos.
15 Jan 2020
Aid links: Repairing the WTO, global trends 2020, BRAC founder dies

Alexandre Dayant

Links and stories from the aid and development sector.
15 Jan 2020
China

Vietnam
Belt and rail: New Vietnam-China train aims to put relations on track

Wu Shang-Su

Updating a colonial legacy railway might offer more than a smoother connection between sometimes tense neighbours.
14 Jan 2020
Iran
In Tehran, a tragic error threatens political wreckage

Rodger Shanahan

As questions around the Flight 752 disaster persist, Iranian politicians seek cover.
14 Jan 2020
China

Hong Kong
Beijing’s Hong Kong appointment sends a clear message

JJ Rose

By installing an old-school party functionary as its chief liaison, China shows where it stands on reform.
14 Jan 2020
Australia

Technology
The Australian lag in tech policy

Xueyin Zha

As European regulators catch up with the digital economy, their Aussie counterparts seem nothing but laid-back.
13 Jan 2020
Asean

India

Southeast Asia
India has left RCEP behind, but not its ambition in Southeast Asia

Mustafa Izzuddin

Withdrawing from a mega-regional trade deal is a setback, but New Delhi has other ways of enhancing regional engagement.
13 Jan 2020
United States

Iran

The Trump Presidency
Trump walks away clean from Soleimani fallout

Erin Hurley

Doubts over legality and intelligence (and impeachment) didn't keep the US president from claiming a big win.
13 Jan 2020
Defence & Security

Australian Defence Force

Technology
Australia’s new strategic geography

Mark O'Neill

The “sea-air gap” has collapsed amid the proliferation of technologies that are agnostic about distance and domain.
10 Jan 2020
Global Economy
Indonesian economist Mari Pangestu is a World Bank Managing Director

Peter McCawley

In a win for Asia, Pangestu brings a practical bent that will hopefully ground some of the loftier Bank pronouncements.
10 Jan 2020
Indonesia

Climate change
Jakarta is flooding and its governor is sinking

Erin Cook

Despite promising new policies, the city’s new leader faces the same problems as the last, and few options.
10 Jan 2020
Review
Book review: A very private enterprise

Stephen Grenville

Aggressive advocates of free markets, the Koch brothers amassed a fortune by exploiting market imperfections.
10 Jan 2020
Japan
Asia’s shameful gender discrimination

John West

Japan is a standout for all the wrong reasons in a recent assessment of the gender gap in leading economies.
9 Jan 2020
Australia

Climate change
Climate leadership: An idea whose time has come?

Mark Beeson

The Canberra Bubble seems to stifle good ideas, so the challenge for citizens make our leaders take security seriously.