29 Apr 2021 Some reflections on the “anonymous Xinjiang paper” Michael Clarke We should debate those we disagree with. But engagement must be based on a good faith assessment of evidence.
29 Apr 2021 China’s leap into space Morris Jones The newly launched space station has no crew as yet, but the invite list makes for plenty of speculation.
29 Apr 2021 Response to Myanmar coup shows need for UN reform Rebecca Barber Veto power on the Security Council too often obstructs action in the face of atrocities. Here are some ways around it.
28 Apr 2021 Power politics lies behind how new countries are born – or not Gordon Peake History shows a resounding referendum – like recently in Bougainville – is not alone in deciding future independence.
27 Apr 2021 Guiding Myanmar away from ruin Catherine Renshaw Many Southeast Asian nations have struggled with authoritarianism. Maybe the family can steer Myanmar straight.
27 Apr 2021 High hopes and hot air on climate change Anthony Burke Good pledges, moral suasion and new impetus for accountability have yet to sway the recalcitrant.
27 Apr 2021 Pakistan’s extremist dilemma Syed Fazl-e-Haider The government banned a right-wing religious group, then gave in to its demands. Which way does it go now?
26 Apr 2021 Indonesia raises ASEAN’s bar on Myanmar Ben Bland President Joko Widodo had nothing to gain domestically in calling a special summit. But in not failing, he succeeded.
26 Apr 2021 Bhutan: Happy days for the jab in between a strategic pinch Aarti Betigeri The rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations is a remarkable achievement for the kingdom. More tests lie ahead.
23 Apr 2021 Timor-Leste’s floods and Covid lockdown aggravate political rifts Michael Leach Mounting crises raise questions about infrastructure spending, the uses of oil wealth and the need for elite consensus.
23 Apr 2021 Malaysia’s political turmoil has an economic cost Alyssa Leng , Roland Rajah With parliament suspended and a pandemic-induced shock, necessary and serious reform seems a long way off.
22 Apr 2021 Economic diplomacy: Supply chains, ASEAN wanes, and Japan’s coal dump Greg Earl Will government have to pick a winner for 6G networks to show the US and Japan as “global leaders in innovation”?
22 Apr 2021 China drops the mask on its global ambition Nick Bisley Xi Jinping’s Boao Forum speech this week revealed a surprisingly status quo orientation to the international order.
22 Apr 2021 Toxic reaction to Japan’s Fukushima water dump Aristyo Rizka Darmawan Experts insist the release of treated radioactive water is not dangerous. Legal challenges might find otherwise.
21 Apr 2021 China’s Twitter trolls make bid for vacant Trump property Elliott Zaagman “Own the libs” obnoxiousness failed, but China’s social media diplomats haven’t all got the memo.
21 Apr 2021 Indonesia gambles on special ASEAN summit on Myanmar Johannes Nugroho Joko Widodo may have an eye to his legacy by inviting the junta to Jakarta, but it could also cost his prestige.
21 Apr 2021 India’s failure to include enough women in politics Rajesh Trichur Venkiteswaran The world’s largest democracy has barely begun to draw on half its pool of candidates.
20 Apr 2021 “America’s back” in the Paris Agreement. For how long? Nicholas Chan Climate politics is enjoying an optimistic moment, but a Trumpist rerun would be ruinous for environmental diplomacy.
20 Apr 2021 Roosevelt’s lessons for nations across generations Philip Citowicki Over a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt declared “the quality of the leaders is all-important”. It’s as true now as then.
20 Apr 2021 Accountability is the path to better governance in PNG Justice Gua A more inclusive environment and more responsive public-service initiatives will lessen the citizen-state divide.
19 Apr 2021 Sticks and carrots in Biden’s Russia strategy Matthew Sussex Washington deserves two cheers for its early moves against Moscow. But the approach remains fundamentally reactive.
19 Apr 2021 America and China: Imagining the worst Erin Hurley 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 Bryan R. Early , Erik Gartzke 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? Dick Grant 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 Khang Vu Moon Jae-in wants diplomacy to work with Kim Jong-un and is determined to push ahead.
16 Apr 2021 Russia’s Asia diplomacy Anita Inder Singh 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? James Laurenceson 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? Nicholas Borst 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 Michael Altman-Lupu , Matthew Bugher 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 Ivy Kwek 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 Nikola Mikovic 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 André Leslie 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 Rodger Shanahan 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 Kerryn Baker , Asenati Chan Tung 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 Joao da Cruz Cardoso 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? Susan Thornton The future of the grouping might well be determined by China’s behaviour.
12 Apr 2021 Covid recovery, in Australia and the world John Edwards 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 Hanh Nguyen 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 Greg Earl 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 Akimoto Daisuke 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 Roland Rajah 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 Kirsten Han 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 Marcus Colla 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 Holmes Chan , Kris Cheng 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 The Interpreter 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 Natasha Kassam 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 Leanne Jorari 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 Mubashar Hasan 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 Kate Clayton 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 Leanne Smith It’s not just local politics. Australia’s credibility with a feminist foreign policy, in name or not, is on the line.