19 Apr 2021
Sticks and carrots in Biden’s Russia strategy
Washington deserves two cheers for its early moves against Moscow. But the approach remains fundamentally reactive.
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19 Apr 2021
America and China: Imagining the worst
A little well-crafted speculation can shake off complacency and allow people to focus on the true challenge. -
19 Apr 2021
No surprise: Spying from space is a good thing
With countries all watching each other, there is less chance anyone is caught off guard – a deterrent to aggression. -
16 Apr 2021
Light at the beginning of the tunnel?
A look at the first months of the Biden administration gives cause for optimism – and caution. -
16 Apr 2021
South Korea on North Korea: Keep on keeping on
Moon Jae-in wants diplomacy to work with Kim Jong-un and is determined to push ahead. -
16 Apr 2021
Russia’s Asia diplomacy
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visits to Beijing, New Delhi and Islamabad showed Moscow still has clout in the region. -
15 Apr 2021
Will the Five Eyes stare down China’s economic coercion?
Trade figures suggest promises to “have Australia’s back” are yet to be matched by economic solidarity. -
15 Apr 2021
Has China given up on state-owned enterprise reform?
Rather than allowing the private sector more space, Beijing wants a tool for the implementation of government policy. -
15 Apr 2021
Thailand’s sweeping associations law courts disaster
Draft legislation to strictly control all kinds of groups could crush civil society and drive out foreign organisations. -
14 Apr 2021
The Quad’s uneasy place in Southeast Asia
The region will need assurance to overcome scepticism about the Quad and assuage a deep-seated fear of upsetting China. -
14 Apr 2021
Serbia’s vaccine diplomacy: Balancing China and the West
The politics of Covid have tangled up countries across the world – but that’s not always a drawback. -
14 Apr 2021
With Olympic snub, North Korea returns to isolation
Pyongyang’s decision to skip the Tokyo games is part of a broader retreat back to the international wilderness. -
13 Apr 2021
Iran-US-Israel: Boxing out of the shadows
Gradual progress in talks to revive the nuclear deal may be dealt a blow by a series of “grey-zone” attacks. -
13 Apr 2021
A fast end to an era of political dominance in Samoa
The Human Rights Protection Party has been in power almost continuously for nearly 40 years. Perhaps no longer. -
13 Apr 2021
Dili floods a costly consequence of poor urban planning
Reactive measures by the Timor-Leste government and aid from overseas won’t prevent the same disaster next time. -
12 Apr 2021
The Quad (finally) delivers: Can it be sustained?
The future of the grouping might well be determined by China’s behaviour. -
12 Apr 2021
Covid recovery, in Australia and the world
Drawing from his new Lowy Institute Paper, John Edwards looks at the fallout of the pandemic and where things are going. -
9 Apr 2021
Obstacles and opportunities in Vietnam-Australia ties
The two countries see the region from different vantage points. But the prospects for cooperation are growing. -
9 Apr 2021
Economic diplomacy: Global tax, education exports and Team Australia
Levelling the field with a global minimum tax, rethinking student fee revenue, and getting APEC back in the room. -
8 Apr 2021
Legalising same-sex marriage in Japan
A court ruling has thrown down the challenge to Japanese politicians to ensure equality before the law. -
8 Apr 2021
The big bark but small bite of China’s trade coercion
Targeted sanctions on Australian exports have affected billions in trade, but the real damage has been limited. -
7 Apr 2021
In Singapore, Covid vs privacy is no contest
The pandemic has shown how easily most people accept surveillance, and the government’s enthusiasm for new forms of it. -
6 Apr 2021
Ordinary Nazis
A growing understanding of interwar German society helps explain the popular embrace of National Socialist ideology. -
2 Apr 2021
With Xinjiang cotton, Beijing is taking on the world
The latest “us-versus-them” drama shows China sees little chance of mending ties with the West, for now at least. -
2 Apr 2021
Skipping off for a break
With the holiday weekend upon us, we’ll be running light till we’re back next week. -
1 Apr 2021
Closer Taiwan-US ties are stabilising the region, not the opposite
Displays of solidarity for Taiwan won’t contain Beijing’s ambition, but US support must factor in its thinking. -
1 Apr 2021
Why not try? What a Papua New Guinean team could bring to the NRL
Covid-19 has sapped PNG of excitement. But in the years to come, people’s love of footy offers a common rally point. -
31 Mar 2021
Understanding Bangladesh’s most potent religious opposition
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has deep roots in the country. A careful approach is needed in response. -
31 Mar 2021
Washington risks an unsustainable climate policy
Tense talks between the US and China in Alaska Summit showed that collaboration on global challenges is fraught. -
30 Mar 2021
Australia must walk the talk on women’s rights – globally and at home
It’s not just local politics. Australia’s credibility with a feminist foreign policy, in name or not, is on the line. -
30 Mar 2021
America’s border crisis: Good intentions go south
A surge of migrants seeking to cross the border might be the moment noble ideals and political realities collide. -
30 Mar 2021
Taking the measure of prejudice in a pandemic
Has Covid-19 heightened anti-Asian bias in Australia? A new survey shows some worrying signs. -
29 Mar 2021
An interim government would bring ruin to Afghanistan
A US proposal to dissolve the Afghan administration risks a tragic repeat of the past. -
29 Mar 2021
Unresolved questions in US-India relations
Washington has signalled a desire for closer ties with New Delhi, but major challenges are yet to be answered. -
26 Mar 2021
In India, a taste of political variety
State elections will test whether diversity in local politics can steer the country away from one-party dominance. -
26 Mar 2021
Facebook’s monopoly danger in the Pacific
The social media giant’s move to “unfriend” Australia highlighted complex threats to information security in the region. -
25 Mar 2021
Economic diplomacy: Deploying soft power and the future of trade
Not-so-negative globalism, the not-so-predictable future of supply chains, and maybe not much change on China. -
25 Mar 2021
Afghanistan: When a song is not just a song
A move to prohibit girls singing was met with a big backlash on social media – a sign of the times, old and new. -
25 Mar 2021
Female genital mutilation is still a risk – especially in a pandemic
Could lockdowns and travel restrictions have led the practice of female genital mutilation to increase in Australia? -
24 Mar 2021
The world sees the climate crisis in Australia’s floods. Do we?
Australia needs to lead in response to climate change or find itself become a global symbol for inaction. -
24 Mar 2021
The upward spiral of violence in Myanmar
Past experience shows the protesters’ options are limited – fight back and the fight will only get harder. -
24 Mar 2021
The greening of Bill Gates
The Microsoft founder has produced a solid primer for understanding the climate challenge. The next step is action. -
23 Mar 2021
Australian politics should be as diverse as its people
Strengthening the country’s global image requires true diversity in political representation. -
23 Mar 2021
When a middle power is not caught in the middle
Different understandings of the world where a middle power sits has led South Korea down a different path to Australia. -
22 Mar 2021
Lockdown déjà vu in the Philippines
With Covid cases rising, the Duterte administration keeps doing the same thing but somehow expects a different result. -
22 Mar 2021
North Korea and Malaysia’s predictable diplomatic divorce
Pyongyang is sending a message in typically overbearing style. But the target is as much the US as it is Malaysia. -
22 Mar 2021
Myanmar coup: ASEAN’s quiet diplomacy is more constructive
Critics of the Southeast Asian organisation’s response miss the opportunity that is offered by trusted engagement. -
19 Mar 2021
The Mozambique Channel is the next security hotspot
An Islamist insurgency is spilling danger into a major shipping lane, and countries must decide who they want to fix it. -
18 Mar 2021
Lessons from Christchurch
The findings of a New Zealand inquiry apply broadly: government leadership is needed to combat far-right extremism. -
17 Mar 2021
Aggressive sea control isn’t an option for India’s navy
Be assertive close to home. But India should not shrink from distant waters, either.