25 Feb 2021
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Ensuring a consistent approach to the “rules” would make it that much harder for China to break them.
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23 Feb 2021
Terrorism and New Zealand’s dual citizenship conundrum
This is an age in which dual nationality is widespread, and problems related to alleged ISIS members were foreseeable. -
19 Feb 2021
What happened to Australia’s “soft power”?
A review of soft power was trumpeted as a chance to increase Australia’s persuasive force. So why was it abandoned? -
17 Feb 2021
Allies but not friends? New Zealand and Australia
Trans-Tasman tensions have boiled up over a citizenship case, but this latest spat betrays deeper problems. -
16 Feb 2021
What Biden means for Australia’s aid policy
The US president has signalled a serious commitment to bolstering international development. -
12 Feb 2021
Foreign policy’s “Indigenous moment” is here
Australia needs to step up to the challenge. -
11 Feb 2021
Covid’s long reach upsets the economic pecking order
China’s economy could overtake the US faster than expected but there are also implications for Australia closer to home. -
9 Feb 2021
India and Australia: Beyond the three Cs
It is unambiguously in Australia’s interest to strengthen our relationship with India in many aspects. -
29 Jan 2021
China and the Australian far right
The Covid pandemic and anti-CCP fervour have brought together some unlikely allies. -
28 Jan 2021
How to China, from your friends in New Zealand
A trade minister goes on record going way off script. -
27 Jan 2021
Using the Australian Open as a Tokyo test run
Two international sporting events thousands of kilometres apart are linked by a common opponent. -
25 Jan 2021
An anthem that is neither fair nor advancing equality
More than changing a word is needed if a song is to truly capture Australia. -
21 Jan 2021
A “No-First-Use” doctrine would undermine American nuclear deterrence
And Australia should make clear to the Biden administration any such commitment is not in the interests of allies. -
20 Jan 2021
The Irrepressibles tame the Invincibles in their impregnable fortress
A transformative cricket series will do more to strengthen Australia–India bonds than any amount of public diplomacy. -
19 Jan 2021
Australia’s Pacific Step-up and the Quad
The four nations should take the chance to draw together a group of common initiatives in the Pacific islands region. -
18 Jan 2021
When a pigeon’s supposed feat evokes a birdbrained response
A “biosecurity” threat to Australia’s strict quarantine system sends the nation all a flutter. -
11 Jan 2021
Securing the legal foundation for Australia’s intelligence agencies
The Richardson review reinforces principles of legality, propriety and accountability while keeping pace with change. -
23 Dec 2020
She won’t be right with “Australian-style” Brexit
If a no-deal option with the EU is so enviable, why is Australia cutting a deal right now? -
17 Dec 2020
When China lashed out
Lessons of the past are too readily overlooked. But Australia has walked a tightrope between clashing giants before. -
16 Dec 2020
Avoiding a “lost decade” in the Pacific
Remoteness has helped the Pacific mitigate the worst health risks in the pandemic – but not the severe economic costs. -
14 Dec 2020
Australia-Indonesia relations need to talk the talk
Indonesian language programs in Australian universities – a gateway to cultural connection – are disappearing. -
9 Dec 2020
Do politicians really make “excellent envoys”?
A politician turned plenipotentiary can make a powerful statement. Yet it can also undermine public service neutrality. -
7 Dec 2020
The Afghan inquiry and the question of responsibility
Agitating for a big scalp only distracts from reflecting on what the Brereton report actually uncovered. -
7 Dec 2020
The case for going all-in on renewables
Energy security and economic growth have political support where climate change doesn’t. Bring them all together. -
3 Dec 2020
As a national champion departs the scene, a China food fight looms
Picking winners? In this case, one sort of export interest seems to have suffered due to support for another. -
3 Dec 2020
More pollies in more posts
Are changing contours of global power or suspicions of the “swamp” driving more politicians to fill key diplomatic jobs? -
1 Dec 2020
We’ve been trolled – expect more of it, because it worked
Here’s how Scott Morrison might have responded to China’s online provocation. -
1 Dec 2020
China: Explaining that tweet
Four possible reasons behind a Chinese official’s social media missive. -
1 Dec 2020
The UK’s unwelcome foreign aid cut
Amid a pandemic and shifting geopolitics, the aid budget was a victim of its own size – and domestic pressures. -
27 Nov 2020
Fareed Zakaria on Australia’s “opportunity” between the US and China
Inspiration from a tiny giant in Southeast Asia might help Australia find a way through multiple diplomatic obstacles. -
27 Nov 2020
Port Adelaide to Shanghai: Sports diplomacy and the long road ahead
When a sports club thinks strategically, governments can benefit too. -
26 Nov 2020
Who was Hugo Grotius and what is a “Grotian world”?
The PM extols a philosopher who put moral conduct at the centre of international relations. -
24 Nov 2020
Australia’s PM: “How good is international relations theory!”
Scott Morrison is adopting a philosophical approach to strategic challenges – but don’t confuse this with doing nothing. -
23 Nov 2020
The submarine capability gap
The life-of-type extension project is a major, complex and high-risk undertaking of critical importance. -
20 Nov 2020
Australia’s mission in Afghanistan – what was it again?
Nothing can reduce the responsibility of individuals. But the political context for a “forever war” is relevant, too. -
19 Nov 2020
Economic diplomacy: Navigating Asia’s trade tangle and a NSW “step-up”
Plus, revisiting assumptions that China would be reluctant to interfere with South China Sea trade routes. -
19 Nov 2020
Beijing’s bad books: Australia can learn from Norway and South Korea
China’s coercive diplomacy is not new. Other countries have managed to repair ties after a perceived slight. -
16 Nov 2020
Putting real Australian money on the table to help Indonesia
An outright loan for A$1.5 billion won’t meet all Indonesia’s needs – but it’s a very welcome start. -
12 Nov 2020
Japan-Australia: The chance to sweeten the deal
Scott Morrison’s trip to Tokyo should move beyond a narrow focus on defence to secure the living environment. -
11 Nov 2020
Leading by example: Two different responses to China’s rise
South Korea and Australia share many traits but differ in one important respect – their responses to a rising China. -
5 Nov 2020
A Trump legacy?
Trump or Biden, it’s clear there are far bigger foreign policy contests still to be settled. -
3 Nov 2020
Taking China seriously: A review of Geoff Raby’s “grand strategy”
Jumping at shadows is no basis for Australian foreign policy. Common sense must prevail. -
2 Nov 2020
Taiwan: Rising stakes for Australia
America’s policy of “strategic ambiguity” is being hotly contested, but multilateralism might offer a fresh approach. -
28 Oct 2020
Shocking abuse of female passengers in Doha demands resolute response
Australia’s options to put Qatar on notice start with recalling its ambassador. The next step could go further. -
27 Oct 2020
Preparing for when climate change drives people from their homes
Combating Covid in the Pacific is hard enough. Add cyclones, droughts and flooding to the mix, the time to act is now. -
22 Oct 2020
Economic diplomacy: Japanese investment takes a Toll
While a disastrous foray by Japan Post grabs headlines, China shrinks as a share of the global economy. -
22 Oct 2020
Filling the gap: How Australia is creating its own “China problem”
The current geopolitical to-ing and fro-ing must not obscure the need to understand Chinese language and culture. -
21 Oct 2020
Loyalty tests make Australia weaker, not stronger
A parliamentary hearing on the challenges facing diaspora communities turned into a political stunt. -
19 Oct 2020
India-Australia security relations: They’ve only just begun
It’s fashionable to be pessimistic about the India-Australia partnership, but in fact it is steadily improving. -
14 Oct 2020
Kiwis and hawks: Is New Zealand edging closer to Australia on China?
Views on China appear to be hardening in Wellington, and the next government will be pressed to find a policy balance.