Articles | Lowy Institute

17 Nov 2018
Weekend catch-up: APEC, the US after the midterms and Brexit

The Interpreter

A flock of leaders descend on PNG, a new US ambassador & Brexit spirals downwards. The week that was on the Interpreter.
16 Nov 2018
China's Economy

US Economy
US versus China: the economic model

Stephen Grenville

Donald Trump might be a Republican, but not of the Ronald Reagan ilk, and it shows in his approach to China.
16 Nov 2018
European Union

United Kingdom
Directions to the Brexit? “I wouldn’t start from here.”

The Interpreter

As Theresa May fights to survive a bid to break with Europe, two Lowy Institute podcasts assess the consequences.
16 Nov 2018
India
Food grains rot in India while millions live with empty stomachs

Rajesh Trichur Venkiteswaran

A wasteful government supply chain, unscrupulous dealers, and glaring loopholes leave the downtrodden needlessly hungry.
16 Nov 2018
Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament
It’s time to fill Asia’s arms control void

Tanya Ogilvie-White

The post-Cold War arms control architecture is crumbling, and if it can’t be salvaged, something new is required.
16 Nov 2018
Indonesia
Indonesia’s election: Jokowi vs Prabowo

Peter McCawley

The campaign patterns are already clear, with Jokowi’s steady-as-you-go message up against Prabowo’s nationalist pitch.
15 Nov 2018
Global Issues

United States

Australia
Chipping away at trust in democracy

Adam Henschke

Without a greater level of political care, threats to the brittle foundations of democracy will grow.
15 Nov 2018
Sustainability
Why boycotting palm oil achieves nothing

Max Walden

The world needs cooking oil, and as far as the impact of vegetable oils go, palm oil isn’t a bad one.
15 Nov 2018
Australia

Japan
Abe’s visit to Australia: raising the stakes

Lauren Richardson

A deal for more frequent and larger joint military drills with Australia is part of Japan’s push for stronger partners.
15 Nov 2018
United States
More than words needed to meet the China challenge

Sam Roggeveen

There appears to be little evidence of the US preparing itself for a whole-of-nation competition with China.
14 Nov 2018
Public Diplomacy And International Broadcasting

Australia
International broadcasting: raising Australia’s Pacific voice

Ian Macintosh , Bruce Dover

The solution isn’t to simply transmit, or worse, dump Australian content on unsuspecting regional audiences.
14 Nov 2018
Asia and Pacific

The Asia Pacific's Economies
The challenges facing APEC leaders

Merriden Varrall

A tense geopolitical environment is the backdrop to the upcoming leaders’ summit, with US-China rivalry on display.
14 Nov 2018
Pacific Islands
Pacific links: APEC underway, banking on the region, more

Alexandre Dayant

The summit comes to Port Moresby, PNG’s health problems in the spotlight, and stories from the Pacific islands region.
14 Nov 2018
United States

The Trump Presidency
The prospect of a “Trumpier” foreign policy

Michael Fullilove

There is every chance the president will be bolder abroad, in search of wins he believes will help him at home.
14 Nov 2018
United Arab Emirates
Endgame for Dubai

Daniel Woker

Dubai’s surface has the qualities of a mirage, still reflecting easy riches but is, in reality, abandoned and uncertain.
13 Nov 2018
China

Taiwan
Scoring China’s happiness quest

Gerda Wielander

Data from China challenges assumptions of what indicates a country’s happiness – and allows for interesting comparisons.
13 Nov 2018
Fiji
Fiji: elections and the slow path to democracy

Jonathan Pryke

Frank Bainimarama is in a far different position to when he controversially seized power in a military coup in 2006.
13 Nov 2018
Australia

China
Signalling a whole-of-Australia approach to China

Andrew Forrest

A federal system of government actively discourages state participation in foreign policy, this needs to change.
13 Nov 2018
Indonesia
Indonesia: Bela Negara action plan and pandering to the military

Luke Lischin

Is Jokowi’s implementation of a military-run nationalist program a hedging strategy for the upcoming election?
12 Nov 2018
Terrorism

Australia
Bourke Street: debating terrorism

Rodger Shanahan

Too often, the same debates dominate in the wake of a suspected terrorism attack, offering too little insight.
12 Nov 2018
Defence & Security

Pacific Islands
Meaningful participation: women and peacebuilding in the Pacific

Nicole George

Experience in Bougainville and Solomon Islands highlights the potential role of women to support the process.
12 Nov 2018
Australia
Where the new US envoy fits in the ambassadorial type

Alan C. Tidwell

The nomination of Culvahouse leaves begging the question what kind of ambassador will he be?
12 Nov 2018
Global Economy
Trump and intellectual property

Stephen Grenville

Inventors have a right to be rewarded for their innovation, don’t they? It depends.
10 Nov 2018
Weekend catch-up: elections galore, fishy deals, Xinjiang, more

The Interpreter

US midterms, New Caledonia’s referendum, China’s crackdown on Uighurs, the week that was on The Interpreter.
9 Nov 2018
Papua New Guinea
PNG and APEC: who gets to keep the Maseratis?

Watna Mori

The APEC leaders meeting will finally occur next week, but the costs still raise plenty of questions about priorities.
9 Nov 2018
India

Japan
Modi and Abe: judgement waits on India-Japan ties

Purnendra Jain

The recent summit showcased a strong personal chemistry but this special relationship still faces obstacles.
9 Nov 2018
Chinese Trade
Decoupling from China: cutting the Gordian Knot

John Lee

Expecting a coordinated global divorce with China is imprudent – it may also be impractical.
9 Nov 2018
Defence & Security

United States

China
The new normal: a close naval encounter in the South China Sea

James Goldrick

The Chinese commander’s handling of the situation was less than adept.
8 Nov 2018
Asia

Global Economy
Economic diplomacy: doing business with China, Donald’s soulmate

Greg Earl

The careful form of words to prevent the takeover of energy infrastructure at home without appearing anti-Chinese.
8 Nov 2018
Defence & Security
Marginalising female combatants after conflict

Eleanor Gordon

A truly gender-responsive peacebuilding program will not only help dispel myths about women but build sustainable peace.
8 Nov 2018
New Caledonia
New Caledonia’s independence referendum: a reminder of realities

Denise Fisher

With two more possible referendums, there is still plenty of talk to come about the future of the territory.
8 Nov 2018
Australia in the World
Kevin Rudd’s script in defence of multilateralism

Geoff Kitney

Rudd’s time as PM covered great global upheaval, and his entreaty for the world to stop and think is worth noting.
7 Nov 2018
United States

The Trump Presidency
US midterms: the no-joke elections

Daniel Flitton

Is anything short of a punishing defeat for Republicans actually an endorsement of Donald Trump?
7 Nov 2018
Singapore
Singapore: policing social media

Kirsten Han

Chatter and dissent are now taking place online while freedom of expression and assembly are curbed elsewhere.
7 Nov 2018
China
China: re-engineering the Uighur

Louisa Lim

The re-education camps represent one of the visible planks of an overarching attack on Uighur identity.
7 Nov 2018
Papua New Guinea
The Orchids’ tale: PNG’s women’s rugby league team

Joanna Lester

A new documentary tells the story of the PNG Orchids at the World Cup and how they are changing perceptions of women.
7 Nov 2018
Aid links: markets from space, a kink in a “nudge” policy, more

Alexandre Dayant

Working for a ride-sharing app in Africa, “invisible countries”, and links from the aid and development sector.
7 Nov 2018
China-Australia Relations

China
Chinese fishing fleet a security issue for Australia

David Brewster

China’s fishing industry is the world’s largest. But this is not just about fish.
6 Nov 2018
Terrorism
Xinjiang: outrage is not a policy

Elliot Brennan

Demonstrating that forced re-education is not the answer may be the most effective way to end the practice.
6 Nov 2018
New Caledonia
New Caledonia to remain part of France

Alexandre Dayant

The referendum left the independence movement eyeing 2020 as the year of emancipation from 165 years of colonisation.
6 Nov 2018
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: when is a political opinion a crime?

Samir Pasha , Naga Kandiah

The arrest of a Tamil MP has put a spotlight on the limits of free expression in the island nation.
6 Nov 2018
Asia
Four reasons to manage China’s rise

Dhruva Jaishankar

China shapes almost every global issue, yet the reasons for anxiety about Beijing’s ambitions guide how to respond.
5 Nov 2018
China

Hong Kong
How China changed its language on speech

Vivienne Chow

Language helps preserve a unique culture but Cantonese is marginalised by authorities in southern China.
5 Nov 2018
Australia's Army
The Australian Army’s drone air force

Peter Layton

Drones incur the army a small cost but yield impressive results. The challenge is, they're available to everyone.
5 Nov 2018
India
Facebook deploys a “War Room” ahead of India’s elections

Aarti Betigeri

If 2014 was India’s first social media election, interference shapes as a potential threat to the second in 2019.
5 Nov 2018
United States

The Trump Presidency
The cliché is true: this is the most important US midterm, ever

Robert E Kelly

The midterm elections this week may change the balance of power in Washington and re-define Donald Trump’s presidency.
3 Nov 2018
Weekend catch-up: who takes the helm, Australia?

The Interpreter

Political leaders stake out ground on foreign policy, Khashoggi controversy continues, and the week on The Interpreter.
2 Nov 2018
Indonesia
Sadly, again, Indonesia fails on transport safety

Aisyah Llewellyn

The country’s deadliest airline crash in two decades underscores the need to finally address an appalling record.
2 Nov 2018
Germany
The Merkel legacy – a study in shades

Marcus Colla

Success and failure mark all careers in high office. Angela Merkel could often persuade, but not always inspire.
2 Nov 2018
China
Deng’s ghost haunts Xi, as Maoism makes a return

Charlie Lyons Jones

Clouds loom over China as economic growth slows and the effects of the trade war with US take hold.