4 Nov 2019
China’s slam dunk of the NBA is a game changer
Western businesses ditching ethics for market access isn’t new, but the NBA’s cowering has finally made it a story.
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4 Nov 2019
What 1989 unleashed, and what it didn’t
The story of “post-Wall” Central Europe is not simply a straight line from liberalism’s triumph to its collapse. -
4 Nov 2019
Kinship is vital to Pacific disaster response
As the Pacific cyclone season looms, Australia should look to those already stepping up – the Pacific diaspora. -
1 Nov 2019
In search of clarity on Hong Kong’s future
Hong Kong and China would both benefit from a clear understanding of the city status post-2047. -
1 Nov 2019
Film review: Torture, lies, and videotape
Adam Driver stars as Daniel Jones, who spent more than six years uncovering the dark secrets of the US war on terror. -
1 Nov 2019
Out of sight, out of mind? Irregular people movement on the doorstep
People haven’t stopped trying to migrate in the region, yet Australia’s role has been reduced to that of a bystander. -
31 Oct 2019
What Russia wants in a multipolar world
Canberra should rethink its approach to Moscow, recognising areas of difference yet be willing to see common ground. -
31 Oct 2019
Chart of the week: Australian versus Chinese aid in the Pacific
By the numbers, while China promises a lot to the region, it actually delivers far less. -
31 Oct 2019
PNG’s supplementary budget: An honest accounting
James Marape warned the economy was “bleeding”, and setting out the true fiscal position is a first step to healing. -
31 Oct 2019
China, a low-productivity superpower
A shift from agriculture to industrial work can mask challenges to China’s growth, especially in the services sector. -
30 Oct 2019
Towards a peaceful and inclusive Asia
Resurrecting the idea of “Asia” can help give smaller states agency to guide China as a responsible and benign giant. -
30 Oct 2019
See you in court? A rising tide of international climate litigation
Vanuatu is pushing for international courts to tackle the climate crisis in a move that could put the heat on Australia. -
30 Oct 2019
Pacific links: donors jostle for influence, maddening Maseratis, more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
30 Oct 2019
How Africa is breaking China’s neo-colonial shackles
Beijing is fending off African resentment over debt and for importing workers – and facing extra competition, too. -
29 Oct 2019
Messy is the new order: Succession time in Malaysia
Rather than a personality rivalry between Mahathir and Anwar, a wider decentralisation of political power is underway. -
29 Oct 2019
With a UN Human Rights Council seat, Indonesia has a choice
Jakarta could put human rights at the centre of its foreign policy, as well as clean up its act at home. -
29 Oct 2019
Soft power, hard weather: Japanese resilience
A ferocious typhoon has tested Japan amid the Rugby World Cup and before the Olympics – and taught valuable lessons. -
28 Oct 2019
The vulnerable state of Islamic State
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was likely trying to forge an alliance to stave off fighters defecting to other jihadi groups. -
28 Oct 2019
The worrying precedent of Turkey’s “safe zone”
Under international law, one country cannot invade another to seize territory – yet that appears to have been endorsed. -
28 Oct 2019
Remembering the “wasman” of Papua New Guinea
Australia’s embrace of the Pacific future needs to look to the untold past as well. -
25 Oct 2019
In Chile, APEC vs anarchy
With heavy street protests leading the president to declare a state of emergency, Chile’s big showcase is looking iffy. -
25 Oct 2019
Victoria takes the initiative with China
<p>For reasons perhaps best known to himself, the premier has re-upped the state’s agreement on Belt and Road.</p> -
25 Oct 2019
Indonesia’s new cabinet and its human rights implications
Jokowi’s appointments will be rightly questioned: is he interested in human rights or the rights of the Indonesian army? -
25 Oct 2019
Finally, some plain talk on the Quad
The US Secretary of State dropped a fig leaf: Washington thinks the Quad can help put China back in its “proper place”. -
24 Oct 2019
Economic diplomacy: Indonesia trade, ASIO business & deglobalisation
Balancing national security and national prosperity – a range of views and the call for a range of resources. -
24 Oct 2019
ABC: Australia’s waning soft-power star
The public broadcaster alone cannot be responsible for Australia’s international voice, so more need to be heard. -
24 Oct 2019
Brexit: “Do or die”
Boris Johnson swerves from “no deal” to “deal”, while a not-so-anonymous source steers the headlines in his favour. -
24 Oct 2019
Trump’s troop withdrawal and what’s next for Islamic State
Having pre-emptively declared the militant group “100% defeated”, the pull back from Syria raises different threats. -
23 Oct 2019
Antarctica and the China test
While Australia’s federal politicians ponder the US-China puzzle, it may be state governments stuck with real choices. -
23 Oct 2019
China, the Pacific, and the “debt trap” question
Charges of saddling Pacific countries in debt may be overstated, but China’s lending practices still pose risks. -
23 Oct 2019
Aid links: development how-to guides, Nobel winners, more
A selection of links and stories from the aid and development sector. -
23 Oct 2019
Hong Kong protesters need a narrative – now
News coverage is beginning to fall away with nothing new to report, because the demonstrations alone don’t tell a story. -
22 Oct 2019
A muddled message makes it harder for Australia’s friends to trust us
An already complicated strategic realm is compounded when the government’s narrative undermines the nation’s strengths. -
22 Oct 2019
China’s own “Great Delusion”
China has turned American hubris on its head – overselling realism and nationalism while ignoring liberalism. -
22 Oct 2019
Agent of instability: Trump’s America - Podcast out now
In Episode 12 of Rules Based Audio, former US Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns discusses US foreign policy under Trump. -
21 Oct 2019
Sparks fly in Lebanon
Recent protests and wildfires are both symptoms of chronic mismanagement, corruption, and dysfunction. -
21 Oct 2019
Rumblings along the federal fault line in Solomon Islands
Reports of China “leasing an entire Pacific island” have again exposed provincial and central government divisions. -
21 Oct 2019
Facebook, the Rohingya, and internet blackouts in Myanmar
Online restrictions imposed on the Rohingya in Myanmar and in refugee camps in Bangladesh should be repealed. -
18 Oct 2019
Are free trade deals expanding a digital divide?
E-commerce is a big feature of regional trade talks, but developing countries should be wary of the pitfalls. -
18 Oct 2019
Papua New Guinea’s untold media freedom challenge
Cuts by foreign news agencies, poor resourcing and cultural hurdles for local journalists are obstacles to overcome. -
17 Oct 2019
China’s carbon emissions trading scheme: Smoke and mirrors
China has adopted a scheme to reduce carbon intensity, but that is not the most effective way to reduce CO2 emissions. -
17 Oct 2019
Iraq protests: The cost of corruption and failed reforms
The compromise that put Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi in office has entrenched patronage politics and fuelled public rage. -
16 Oct 2019
Dispatches from the front (row)
Japan – through its team and wonderful crowds – put on a rugby festival worthy of the name. -
16 Oct 2019
New Caledonia decides the timing of its second independence referendum
Loyalists and independence groups are staking out positions, with another two votes now likely. -
16 Oct 2019
Pacific links: dividends of a diplomatic switch, O’Neill warrant, more
Taiwan looks to shore up support in the region, plus other stories from across the Pacific Islands. -
16 Oct 2019
Could Australia unlock the Kashmir question?
Homilies about strengthening relationships should be matched by ambition – like in the past – to get something done. -
15 Oct 2019
Plogging along: India-China struggle to find momentum
<p>Little of substance appeared to come from weekend talks between Modi and Xi – and maybe that’s the point.</p> -
15 Oct 2019
Diplomatic immunity: Time to change the rules
A fatal road accident in the UK has again put a spotlight on potential abuse of a system intended to protect envoys. -
15 Oct 2019
The Wiranto attack and the ISIS impact
With events in the Middle East as a constant goad, people such as Syahrial Alamsyah will find excuses for violence. -
15 Oct 2019
“Accepting the science”, rejecting the action
If the Morrison government is on board with reducing emissions, as it seems to claim, it needs to step up its policies.