12 Sep 2018
The pointy end for the Melanesian Spearhead Group
The forum has past success in mediating bitter disputes, but faces a sharp test with regional independence movements.
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12 Sep 2018
How Taiwan deters China – and can do better yet
Far from a “lost cause”, the Asia Power Index demonstrates the chance Taiwan has to strengthen its defence networks. -
11 Sep 2018
India’s navy: between carriers and patrol boats
The blue water ambition of India’s navy runs the risk of being diluted by constabulary duties closer to home. -
11 Sep 2018
PNG: new friend versus old, APEC and polio
Australia and China are playing out an aid-funded geostrategic dance, with Port Moresby the chosen venue. -
11 Sep 2018
China’s trans-Himalayan tango with Nepal
After Doklam, confrontation has given way to economic contest, and perhaps the real China-India rivalry is yet to start. -
10 Sep 2018
Political blackmail in the Taiwan-China contest
Countries with diplomatic ties to Taiwan are blackmailing Taipei before ditching ties in favour of Beijing. -
10 Sep 2018
Japan is back in the Bay of Bengal
Tokyo has long understood the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea are the lynchpins that connect the Indo-Pacific. -
10 Sep 2018
Idlib – the (nearly) final frontier
Turkey seems to be in the weakest position in negotiations with Russia and Iran as the pressure on Idlib builds. -
10 Sep 2018
India-US: two plus two equals hopes and troubles
The growing American interest in India has led to optimism for future cooperation – but significant hurdles remain. -
8 Sep 2018
Weekend catch-up: China's tech bubble, and more
Mahathir redux, Russian military exercises and Taiwan's pacific allies: The week that was on The Interpreter. -
7 Sep 2018
Debating South Korea’s mandatory military service
An exemption from military service for a football star has brought global attention to a simmering social issue. -
7 Sep 2018
The James Ricketson trial
Watching court proceedings of a case marred by irregularities that in a country other than Cambodia might be thrown out. -
7 Sep 2018
Trump and rules-based order for global trade
Trump didn’t cause the problems, his presidency has just put them in the spotlight, without practical policy solutions. -
6 Sep 2018
China’s tech bubble
As debts mount and liquidity begins to dry up, it will soon become clear how much the growth of tech start-ups was fact. -
6 Sep 2018
Mahathir redux: the past guides the future
The legacy of his first stint as prime minister is shaping his second – history suggests Mahathir will remain a player. -
6 Sep 2018
The Rohingyas: a new terrorist threat?
There are no obvious signs refugees in squalid camps will turn to international violence – but it would only take a few. -
5 Sep 2018
The threat within: Pakistan’s ties to China
A suicide attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in Balochistan threatens to have far reaching economic consequences. -
5 Sep 2018
Pacific links: who talks, who walks, at the Forum
China-Taiwan tensions on display, journalist restrictions, and other stories from the Pacific islands region. -
5 Sep 2018
Lies, damn lies, and Chinese statistics
No one metric is ever going to be a good proxy for China, the place is just too complicated to be boiled down. -
5 Sep 2018
The Rohingya are stuck
Like the rest of us, the Rohingya need to have hope in a reasonable future for their children. -
4 Sep 2018
Russia’s Vostok-2018: a rehearsal for global war?
The largest military exercises in decades will see hundreds of thousands of troops in something approaching real combat. -
4 Sep 2018
Will Solomon Islands abandon Taiwan?
Taipei will find it increasingly hard to dispel the intangible sense the tide of history is running in China’s favour. -
4 Sep 2018
Regional security dilemma in the Pacific
Pacific leaders are openly despairing of Australia’s climate change policy and markedly differ on security priorities. -
4 Sep 2018
No safe return for Rohingya refugees
A larger struggle over the “soul” of the Myanmar state and society greatly limits the scope for international influence. -
3 Sep 2018
New Caledonia’s referendum: the delicate dance
<p>Emmanuel Tjibaou, son of an assassinated Kanak independence leader, speaks on New Caledonia’s identity and art.</p> -
3 Sep 2018
Beleaguered Bangladesh and big neighbour trouble
A register to record citizens in India’s Assam raises fears four million Bengali-speaking residents could be forced out. -
3 Sep 2018
Lessons of yet another Indonesian blasphemy case
Corruption permeates the Indonesian courts, making the perception of a country abiding the rule of law a sad illusion. -
3 Sep 2018
Asia’s order beyond the great powers
What might be called second tier players, when acting together, can have a profound influence to shape the region. -
1 Sep 2018
Weekend catch-up: John McCain’s legacy and more
Julie Bishop’s foreign ministership, Belt and Road branding and “birth tourism”: the week that was on The Interpreter. -
31 Aug 2018
A life in fear: violence against adolescent girls
The Lake Chad humanitarian crisis is severe – and peace will only be found by listening to those most vulnerable. -
31 Aug 2018
South Korea’s demographic deficit
Declining birth rates and an aging population will see nation’s workforce shrink, and challenge male-focused attitudes. -
31 Aug 2018
Chinese “birth tourism” shows citizenship evolves
Pregnant mothers seeking US citizenship for kids raises compelling questions about belonging but is hardly nefarious. -
31 Aug 2018
The chance to urge religious freedom in Indonesia
On his trip to Jakarta, Scott Morrison should raise the disturbing trend to repress religious minorities in Indonesia. -
30 Aug 2018
Economic diplomacy: Indonesia, trade deals and TPP
After a breakthrough with Jakarta, will Aussie-trained Indonesian workers be welcomed into Australia to improve skills? -
30 Aug 2018
New Caledonia: boycotts and blockade
Divisions have marred preparations for the November independence referendum despite effort to seed habits of dialogue. -
30 Aug 2018
Australia right to question Manning visa
Manning is not a whistleblower. She is someone convicted of espionage who was given a long prison sentence. -
30 Aug 2018
Libyan elections: another Gaddafi
Saif Gaddafi faces difficult obstacles, including his father's legacy, to challenge for the presidency of Libya. -
29 Aug 2018
The swooning over McCain is more about Trump
He gave in to the worst of the American right, but in media memory, John McCain represents an earlier Republican party. -
29 Aug 2018
Belt and Road: China’s biggest brand
The Belt and Road Initiative is foremost a marketing tool, often applied retrospectively, and aimed at a home audience. -
29 Aug 2018
Aid links: political change and adjustment, more
Julie Bishop’s foreign aid legacy, UK realignment, statistics in a changing world and links from the development sector. -
29 Aug 2018
Why is India building the world’s tallest statue?
Ballooning costs amid global competition for bragging rights should prompt India to invest more in existing attractions. -
29 Aug 2018
Julie Bishop: buffeted by headwinds
Bishop struggled at times to find the right tone in response to an inward-looking America and a muscular China. -
28 Aug 2018
Kofi Annan: great expectations
Annan would sometimes wryly joke the abbreviation used within the United Nations for his position stood for “scapegoat”. -
28 Aug 2018
No, Australia has not caught the Trump bug
Rather than an outsider, Peter Dutton is a party loyalist who tried to rescue his party against a wealthy outsider. -
28 Aug 2018
Indonesia: running mates spark controversy
As the election race heats up, the economy is Jokowi’s likely vulnerability; meanwhile Prabowo boosts campaign coffers. -
27 Aug 2018
India: the north-south disparity
Engaging India means recognising vast differences between culturally diverse states and varied governance standards. -
27 Aug 2018
Julie Bishop and her place in the history books
Her achievements lie in the goals she chose to pursue, which she then pursued with determination and rigour. -
26 Aug 2018
John McCain: death of a hero
A solid Republican with a maverick streak, McCain was a tireless advocate of strong alliances, including with Australia. -
25 Aug 2018
Weekend catch-up: Yes, Prime Minister (again)
Political upheaval in Australia, sports diplomacy gone wrong, remembering Kofi Annan: the week on The Interpreter. -
24 Aug 2018
The world won’t wait for Scott Morrison
<p>After an extraordinary week at home, the new PM will need to contend with a pressing international calendar.</p>