Lowy Institute East Asia Research Fellow Aaron L Connelly speaks to the BBC's Sharanjit Leyl about the purpose and implications of a new China-Myanmar oil pipeline.

On 14 December Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of US Pacific Command, addressed the Lowy Institute on America's enduring interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

In his role as Commander US Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris is responsible for military operations in an area which encompasses more than 100 million square miles—more than half the earth’s surface. Admiral Harris graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1978 and undertook graduate studies in East Asia security at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and Oxford University. He has served in every geographic combatant command region, and participated in a range of major operations, including Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Odyssey Dawn (Libya, 2011). Harris’ staff assignments include aide to commander, US Naval Forces Japan; chief speechwriter for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and three tours on the Navy Staff. Harris was promoted to Admiral and assumed command of the US Pacific Fleet in October 2013. In May 2015, he assumed command of the US Pacific Command.

On 13 October, Jean-David Levitte spoke on the threat of Islamic State in the Middle East and Europe, the state of the European project after Brexit, and the rise of new powers in Asia.

On 16 August, the Lowy Institute hosted Washington Post columnist and 2016 Telstra Distinguished international Fellow David Ignatius for an address on the state of world order.

On 20 July at Paddington Town Hall, United States Vice President Joe Biden addressed the Lowy Institute and the United States Studies Centre on the Australia-US relationship.

On Monday, 20 June the Lowy Institute hosted the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, as part of a series of lectures by political leaders in the lead-up to the 2016 federal election.

On 13 May, Lowy Institute Research Fellow Aaron Connelly spoke to the BBC on the Permanent Court of Arbitration case between China and the Philippines.

On 31 May the Lowy Institute hosted the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP. Ms Plibersek spoke on ‘How Australia can be a better international citizen’.
 
Elected to Federal Parliament as the Member for Sydney in 1998, Ms Plibersek’s ministerial appointments have included Minister for Health, Minister for Medical Research, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for Human Services, Minister for the Status of Women, and Minister for Housing.

In 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping put forward the proposal to boost Eurasian economic integration and infrastructure building through its ambitious “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” initiatives. It is widely regarded as President Xi’s signature economic as well as foreign policy undertaking. The project could involve trillions of dollars of potential investment across many continents including Australia’s immediate neighbouring region: Southeast Asia.

On 30 May, the Lowy Institute’s Peter Cai spoke to one of Australia’s leading experts on Chinese infrastructure investment, Grant Dooley, the head of Hastings Infrastructure Fund Asia’s practice and the former Australian Consul-General in Guangzhou, China. 

The Lowy Institute is grateful for the support of our event partner, AMP.