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Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 25 Sep 2023
    • North Korea
    • Russia

    The historical roots of North Korea’s lucky break with Russia

    Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein
    Kim Jong-un can thank decisions taken by his grandfather decades ago for any weapons exports to Russia that may come about in the future.
  • 25 Sep 2023
    • Bangladesh
    • Australia
    • Diplomacy

    Australia’s support for Bangladesh will bolster regional stability

    David Brewster
    It's not clear what Washington hopes to achieve in isolating Dhaka, but Canberra must take a different tack.
  • 22 Sep 2023
    • Asylum seekers and refugees
    • Climate change
    • Environment
    • Middle East

    Libya’s unlearnable lessons

    Mark Beeson
    Many of the world’s current crises didn’t need to happen. Why the least responsible are still paying the price.
  • 22 Sep 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Development Assistance

    Post-disaster aid in developing and fragile states

    Grace Stanhope
    Political mismanagement and failures of governance all too often exacerbate the effects of natural disasters.
  • 22 Sep 2023
    • United Nations
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands
    • Tonga
    • Vanuatu
    • United States

    The US–Pacific Islands Partnership, one year on

    Meg Keen , Daniel Mandell
    Recognising that it cannot go it alone, Washington needs to coordinate its development efforts with like-minded partners.    
  • 21 Sep 2023
    • Germany
    • Review

    Plumbing the depths of the former East Germany’s grotesque delusion

    Mark Pierce
    A mostly unsentimental new memoir of life in the GDR ruminates on the what-ifs.
  • 21 Sep 2023
    • Pakistan
    • Human rights

    Pakistan at a crossroads on blasphemy

    Syed Fazl-e-Haider
    Draconian interpretations of Islamabad’s laws violate human rights and are stoking violent religious extremism.
  • 21 Sep 2023
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • Global Economy
    • Trade

    China does not need currency manipulation to boost its exports

    Robert Walker , Roland Rajah
    A weak economy will itself increase China’s export competitiveness.
  • 21 Sep 2023
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • United States

    The Camp David Agreement’s shallow foundations

    Henry Storey
    A new trilateral security arrangement could precipitate unintended and deleterious consequences for the US–Korea alliance.
  • 20 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Philippines
    • International law

    How China sees its conflict with the Philippines

    Cherry Hitkari
    Taiwan, the ten-dash line, and an ever-present US are driving a wedge between Manila and Beijing.
  • 20 Sep 2023
    • Recommendations

    The Fix: War, waste and The Wiggles

    Ryan Neelam
    Our contributors offer short recommendations for reading, watching and listening that you might otherwise miss.
  • 20 Sep 2023
    • Myanmar

    How credible are the casualty figures coming out of Myanmar?

    Andrew Selth
    The public relations war being waged in the international arena is just as important as the war being fought on the ground.
  • 19 Sep 2023
    • Australia and Climate Change
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability
    • United Nations

    Global Stocktake: Unlocking trillions for climate action

    Frank Jotzo , Michelle Lyons
    The Paris Agreement’s assessment of climate policies finds some good news, but massive room for improvement.
  • 19 Sep 2023
    • Global Economy
    • Human rights
    • Technology

    The future of gig work

    Hilman Palaon
    The new world of on-call, contract and temporary work is only sustainable if it is fair and safe for those who power it.
  • 19 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Malaysia
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia

    No neutrality in espionage: Why is Malaysia tangled up in a spying case in Norway?

    Munira Mustaffa
    Asking the Kremlin would be a good start.
  • 18 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Seychelles
    • Australia
    • United States
    • Africa

    Seychelles: Washington comes calling

    Ashton Robinson
    Small island states are back on the diplomatic agenda with the West looking for strategic depth in the Indian Ocean region.
  • 18 Sep 2023
    • G20
    • BRICS
    • United Nations

    UN General Assembly: Snubs and fragmentation

    Stéphanie Fillion
    This year’s meeting will be marked by notable absentees, fuelling a sense that the body’s multilateral power is on the wane.
  • 18 Sep 2023
    • Cambodia
    • Human rights
    • International law
    • War Crimes

    Testimonial therapy: Buddhism’s influence in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge tribunal

    Andre Kwok
    Faith-based interventions and criminal prosecutions can innovatively meet.
  • 15 Sep 2023
    • North Korea
    • Russia

    North Korea undeterred – to Putin’s pleasure

    Gabriela Bernal
    Kim Jong-un sent a message in his summit with Vladimir Putin, not only about military cooperation but also regime survival.
  • 15 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Taiwan
    • Defence & Security
    • Energy
    • Climate change
    • Environment
    • Sustainability

    Beijing’s plan for Taiwan challenges its offshore wind push

    Joseph Webster , Zoe Leung
    Fujian’s coast hasn’t kept up with wind power in other provinces – and military strategy seems to be blowing the other direction.
  • 15 Sep 2023
    • Australia
    • Australia's Economy
    • Energy
    • Trade
    • Technology

    Critical minerals, critical choices: Australia’s role in shaping the green revolution

    Connor O’Brien
    “Resource nationalism” only poses a threat to mining policy if the government pretends it’s not happening.
  • 14 Sep 2023
    • Asean
    • Australia
    • Trade

    Economic diplomacy: ASEAN bound, but words are not enough

    Greg Earl
    The latest Australian bid to increase economic ties with Southeast Asia provides new hopes amid old ghosts.
  • 14 Sep 2023
    • Asia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia's Trade
    • Sustainability

    More than just rice: Asia’s food supply anxieties

    Genevieve Donnellon-May
    Most economies in Southeast Asia are net food importers. Is now the time for Australia to step up its export production?
  • 14 Sep 2023
    • Indonesia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Australian Navy

    ASEAN maritime security and what next week’s navy exercises mean

    Tom Barber
    Australia’s experience and reputation can support Southeast Asia’s aim of multipolarity. And it doesn’t need to be flashy.
  • 13 Sep 2023
    • Australia
    • Global Economy
    • Climate change
    • Environment
    • Multilateral Institutions

    The crucial role for the Green Climate Fund – and why Australia should contribute

    Georgia Hammersley , Melanie Pill , Roland Rajah
    It’s vital to international climate solidarity and Australia rejoining is key to unlocking more global funding for the Pacific.
  • 13 Sep 2023
    • India
    • India's Economy

    The machinery of India’s industrial policy is MIA

    Srijan Shukla
    If New Delhi wants to push industrialisation, it needs to repurpose the country’s existing institutions.
  • 13 Sep 2023
    • Technology
    • Recommendations

    The Fix: A realist take(s) on ChatGPT

    Lydia Khalil
    Your weekly Interpreter feature to rake up resources and reads you might otherwise miss.
  • 13 Sep 2023
    • Asia
    • Maritime Security

    Sea robbery in the Singapore Strait

    Thư Nguyễn Hoàng Anh
    A crucial global trade route is subject to a rash of petty crime, but the consequences aren’t so petty.
  • 12 Sep 2023
    • Asean
    • Vietnam
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australian Diplomacy
    • United States

    Amid great power visits, don’t underestimate middle power cooperation

    Melissa Conley Tyler
    With Vietnam supercharging its relationship with the United States, Australia may be next.
  • 12 Sep 2023
    • Asean
    • China
    • South China Sea
    • Southeast Asia

    ASEAN, China and the trust deficit

    Rahman Yaacob
    The gap between rhetoric and action is Beijing’s biggest problem – and the region showed it isn’t afraid to call this out.
  • 12 Sep 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia
    • Australian Foreign Aid
    • Sex and Gender

    Finding a place for youth leadership in Australia’s new International Development Policy

    Helen Berents , Katrina Lee-Koo
    Young people will be central to addressing regional challenges so their meaningful inclusion must be ensured.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • China
    • India
    • G20

    India pushes China to the margins of the G20

    Ian Hall
    New multilateral agreements unveiled on the sidelines of the forum show how New Delhi has been working hard to curtail Beijing’s strategic influence.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Ukraine has Moscow in its crosshairs but that shouldn’t make us squeamish

    Tennyson Dearing
    Don’t be fooled by Putin’s bluster. Giving Russia impunity by limiting destruction to Ukraine is no way to win the war.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • Asean
    • Southeast Asia
    • Australia
    • Australian trade, investment & economy

    In Australia’s big play in Southeast Asia, mobilising the private sector is critical

    Georgie Skipper
    A stand-off over perceived risks and rewards has long hampered Australia’s economic engagement in the region but a new strategy marks a strong step forward.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • Malaysia

    Malaysia at 60: One country, three visions

    James Chin
    Islamist rule, the secular status quo or a state within a state – the future of Malaysia looks shaky.
  • 8 Sep 2023
    • India
    • G20

    The G20 spectacle and the domestic imperatives of Modi’s global ambitions

    Sanya Dhingra
    The underlying ideological drivers of Hindu nationalism can also be seen amid the fluttering flags and motorcades.
  • 8 Sep 2023
    • United Kingdom
    • Review

    Boris Johnson: Does distance really lend enchantment to the view?

    Mark Pierce
    A recent biography on the former PM reveals a man short on dignity and gravitas, and afraid to make the hard decisions.
  • 8 Sep 2023
    • China
    • India
    • G20

    Ahead of G20, India-China reconciliation fails to launch

    Ankit Tiwari , Sidharth Raimedhi
    Beijing’s actions speak louder than words. By failing to turn up in Delhi, Xi sent a clear signal that China has little enthusiasm for stabilising relations.
  • 7 Sep 2023
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • China's Government

    Is China finally getting serious about hukou reform?

    Henry Storey
    Unless China’s millions of migrant workers gain broader rights, “common prosperity” might turn out to be rhetorical.
  • 7 Sep 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia
    • Australian Foreign Aid

    Does Australia lack strategic imagination on aid and development?

    Soli Middleby , Susan Engel
    A debate on fundamentals is sorely needed but conspicuously lacking.
  • 7 Sep 2023
    • India
    • G20

    Why India keeps a foot in both camps

    Ved Shinde
    Great powers might seek to force a choice but India is showcasing its own – to stop China from dominating, and benefit from Western capital.
  • 6 Sep 2023
    • Indonesia
    • Energy
    • International law

    The sticky case of Indonesia, a seized Iranian oil tanker, and legal jurisdiction

    Dita Liliansa
    An intercepted ship-to-ship transfer raises a series of interlinked questions about sanctions, pollution and the reach of international law.
  • 6 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • South China Sea
    • Recommendations

    The Fix: Explaining Indonesia’s silence in the North Natuna Sea

    Aristyo Rizka Darmawan
    Your weekly Interpreter feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
  • 6 Sep 2023
    • China
    • China's Economy

    China’s troubles may well get worse before they get better

    Roland Rajah , Robert Walker
    There is no straightforward path to escape weak demand and the financial risks from the ongoing real estate bust.
  • 5 Sep 2023
    • Australia in the World
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • Technology

    Danger Will Robinson: Warfighting robots fast approaching

    Peter Layton
    A swarm of angry Australian-made cardboard attack drones sets the scene for all future conflicts.
  • 5 Sep 2023
    • Bangladesh
    • G20

    Who’s on the guest list? India brings Bangladesh to the G20

    Sadia Aktar Korobi
    Bangladesh is taking its place as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.
  • 5 Sep 2023
    • Global Economy
    • BRICS

    Building bigger BRICS

    Stephen Grenville
    Reports of the death of the dominant US dollar have been greatly exaggerated.
  • 4 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Africa

    Coup d’État in Gabon: Oil, champagne, and China’s geopolitical opportunity

    Cornelia Tremann
    Local dynamics might be a primary cause of strife, but France’s loss is China’s possible gain.
  • 4 Sep 2023
    • China

    Under Xi, the Party is winning but China is losing

    Denny Roy
    Rather than solving problems in foreign relations or the economy at home, a host of new headaches are emerging.
  • 4 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Climate change
    • United States

    Climate justice: friendshoring, China’s supremacy and America’s IR Act

    Michelle Lyons
    The goal of ensuring equitable outcomes through the energy transition must be global.
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