25 Apr 2022
We’re taking a break
Our analysis and commentary on the latest international events returns after the public holiday.
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22 Apr 2022
Solomons: How Australia stacks up in a China aid bidding war
Lowy Institute’s Pacific Aid Map reveals the true scope of Australia’s development assistance to the region. -
22 Apr 2022
Even Putin is not beyond the law
International and domestic justice systems are working in the background to bring accountability in the war on Ukraine. -
22 Apr 2022
India-Russia: A friend in need
New Delhi’s reluctance to speak out on Ukraine is also influenced by own ambition in the disputed Kashmir region. -
22 Apr 2022
Does commemorating war really promote peace?
Contrary to popular belief, reminiscing on past sacrifices actually increases the perceived value of future combat. -
21 Apr 2022
Solomons security pact: Sogavare, China, and Australia
There is no shutting China out of the South Pacific, but if Australia gets real on climate the game will truly change. -
21 Apr 2022
Economic diplomacy: After Ukraine, the IMF ponders the future
A decoupling world will still need an old-style cooperative rescue service to repair the economic minefields. -
21 Apr 2022
Rallying around the flag: Domestic support for Putin is holding up
Russians doubt what they are told about the Ukraine conflict yet their view is still shaped by relentless propaganda. -
21 Apr 2022
A first for India and a chance to trade up with Australia
The new trade deal should be a stepping stone for the two countries to make their economic partnership comprehensive. -
20 Apr 2022
Russia-Ukraine: It always comes down to food
War in eastern Europe is devastating the supply of staple goods to distant regions that can least afford it. -
20 Apr 2022
Strategic divergence: Australia’s Southeast Asia challenge
Australia’s next government needs to find ways to relate to the region that don’t depend on geopolitical alignment. -
20 Apr 2022
The duty to prevent genocide in Ukraine
A serious risk of Russia committing genocide imposes legal obligations for states to do what they can to stop it. -
19 Apr 2022
In Putin’s war, everybody loses
The war may freeze in place, but the future peace will not be like the old peace before Russia invaded. -
19 Apr 2022
With elections looming, PNG rushed to create seven new districts
While the opposition worries about gerrymandering, the flaws in the decision are more about the population count. -
18 Apr 2022
The not-so-hidden contest behind Timor-Leste’s presidential election
On the ballot it’s Guterres versus Horta, but also Gusmão versus Alkatiri continuing their post-independence feud. -
15 Apr 2022
Taming troubled waters
Looking from Vietnam, multi-layer joint efforts to ensure maritime security are welcome in the South China Sea. -
15 Apr 2022
We’re taking a break
Watch out for a couple of articles before the Easter bunny arrives. We’ll then be eating chocolate eggs until Tuesday. -
14 Apr 2022
Bucha: Capturing the horror
The story of a Russian massacre in the Ukraine town needed to be told. And like all images, context is important. -
14 Apr 2022
Australian cyber: What’s “Redspice” for?
Canberra should explain why Australia needs a larger offensive cyber capability and how it will be used. -
14 Apr 2022
The problem with postcards from Myanmar
Borders are opening to welcome back tourists. But it’s not just Covid that poses a risk. -
13 Apr 2022
Time to think big on the future of Australian diplomacy
A good start would put the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the centre of decision-making and coordination. -
13 Apr 2022
Law of the sea: A contested watershed ruling
The 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea has changed the dynamics of maritime disputes. -
13 Apr 2022
Bellicose or bluster? How South Koreans see the North’s nuclear threat
The policy of a new president in Seoul depends not only on Pyongyang but also South Korean public perceptions. -
12 Apr 2022
How the Mekong River Commission ignores reality
Nothing is worth celebrating in how a once mighty wild river has been cruelly tamed. -
12 Apr 2022
China’s nine-dash line proves stranger than fiction
How Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea have crept imperceptibly into global popular culture. -
11 Apr 2022
Does Australia have too many elections?
Governments might worry about short-term political horizons. But have faith the public can judge the long-term risks. -
11 Apr 2022
Thinking outside the box on Southeast Asian maritime security
The pandemic brought about an observable increase in transnational crimes – smuggling, piracy and trafficking. -
11 Apr 2022
Can Shah Rukh Khan help India “Act East”?
Bollywood has star power, even in Indonesia, as the Lowy Poll revealed. It’s time to capitalise on the connection. -
8 Apr 2022
Britain in Southeast Asia: How to keep old friends newly engaged
Are there too many Indo-Pacific inputs right now from various European actors, individually and collectively? -
8 Apr 2022
How Japan can help nudge India away from Russia
India’s biggest security headache remains a belligerent China, and Japan should look to help ease this challenge. -
8 Apr 2022
Shore thing: climate change and maritime security intrinsically linked
Rising sea levels in Southeast Asia and the Pacific mean collaboration on maritime order is essential. -
7 Apr 2022
Economic diplomacy: Priorities shift amid a budget aid boost
The IMF has given Chinese spending a tick as Australia tries to muscle up in the Pacific. -
7 Apr 2022
Five key findings from the Being Chinese in Australia survey
The latest Lowy survey of Chinese-Australians captures views on belonging, trust, strategic competition, Covid and more. -
7 Apr 2022
Turkey plays the dance of the go-betweens in Ukraine war
Ankara is perfectly placed to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, and recoup some credibility with NATO at the same time. -
6 Apr 2022
The mysterious missing UN report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang
Months of stalling over the release of a long-completed investigation raises suspicions about China’s pressure tactics. -
6 Apr 2022
Protecting law and order at sea means educating people on their rights
Broad understanding about the need to balance and compromise interests will strengthen the system of international law. -
6 Apr 2022
Democracy or dynasty? Megawati delivers Jokowi a clip
Talk of extending the Indonesian president’s tenure has earned a revealing rebuke from his political patron. -
5 Apr 2022
Of maritime security and a rules-based order
All good in theory, but the operational logistics of multinational cooperation at sea will take more than narratives. -
5 Apr 2022
Bongbong Marcos closes in on the Philippines presidency
A significant polling lead for the late dictator’s son reveals a political resurrection and a fragile democracy. -
5 Apr 2022
Why liberalism has few friends in Asia
The damage inflicted on the region by European imperialism was not forgotten – a backlash that continues to the present. -
4 Apr 2022
Cause and effect: The right security architecture for the Indo-Pacific
Limitations in the established rules and forums have led the region to innovate. -
4 Apr 2022
AUKUS can be a good platform for cooperation with India
And it wouldn’t be the first time the partners had worked together, either. -
1 Apr 2022
“Lawfare” in the South China Sea disputes
Legal mechanisms, while not definitive, have compelled the claimants to examine their position and communicate them. -
1 Apr 2022
Youth politics in East and Southeast Asia
Traditional parties are up against an unstoppable force of young activists set to shape democracy in the region. -
1 Apr 2022
Ukraine: This isn’t the information war you were looking for
But watch a change in tempo for cyber operations as the on-the-ground military situation trends towards stalemate. -
31 Mar 2022
Order at sea: Southeast Asia’s maritime security
Regional capacity building and the maintenance of good order in its waters are vital for the region’s ongoing stability. -
31 Mar 2022
War represents a failure of diplomacy. It pays to read past page one.
I hope Ukraine’s ambassador enjoyed reading my book in the Security Council. Here’s the message I wanted to send. -
31 Mar 2022
Solomon Islands asserts its sovereignty – with China and the West
The danger is geopolitical competition being appropriated by local actors on both sides of local political tensions. -
30 Mar 2022
A silver lining to DFAT’s budgetary woes
A funding boost to diplomacy won’t instantly lift Australia’s influence. Better to think hard on what the country needs. -
30 Mar 2022
Russia’s effort to escape diplomatic isolation
Moscow may turn to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation in Central Asia to prove its regional standing is intact.