Articles: Recent Episodes
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With farmers in Australia crying out for more workers, some outside-the-box thinking could help.
A cultural change in the way Australia’s approach to the world is formulated and prosecuted.
The leader’s strategy is long-term, both for the continued rule of North Korea and its nuclear ambition.
Translating economic semantics into higher incomes, better living standards and good governance is the next step.
With Russia’s stranglehold on the region’s energy, it is time to add a second shade of green.
A “victim” versus “fighter” dichotomy must be overcome to understand the strategic role envisioned for women.
A ceasefire proposal would likely be rejected as a Russian ploy, yet with winter closing, neither side can expect let up.
The Biden administration has staked $810 million on a regional strategy and now must ensure bipartisan support.
The aftermath of Tonga’s massive volcanic eruption holds valuable lessons as climate change risks also grow.
Australia is helping bolster an emerging global norm that will secure space for the benefit of all.
Australia has stepped up a trade diversification push despite the first moves towards reconciliation with China.
Six weeks on from a shocking stadium disaster, mourning signs in Malang tell an angry message for Indonesian politics.
The government can say Australia didn’t have to give up interests or values to restart dialogue.
Electoral mathematics means politicians are faced with a choice between communal politics and multiculturalism.
Beijing sees Indonesia as a major contributor to its food security and this has found receptive ears in Jakarta.
The plight of Myanmar Rohingyas exposes Southeast Asia’s disjointed policies and fragile human rights protections.
Demography is destiny, as is said – and the numbers in China make for a compelling story.
Global energy transition relies on a resource that Australia holds in abundance. But supply chains and policy are key.
The rationale behind Pyongyang’s provocative missile launches may not be as menacing as it appears.
Recent cinematic offerings from the United States, China and India are straight out of the central casting handbook.
How a country is presented globally – and by whom – carries an enduring cultural and political influence.
A dispute over sovereignty in the Indian Ocean tracks Britain’s dwindling empire and the path of international law.
A drop in Chinese funding may be a sign of belt tightening in an effort to tackle Beijing’s own domestic debt problem.
Conflict in Myanmar and Ukraine against a backdrop of US‑China tension – a crowded agenda will unfold in coming weeks.
If wealthy states can’t agree on compensating the world’s most environmentally ravaged, things are looking grim.
Rakhine state has become a de facto battleground for the competing interests of Beijing, Delhi and Dhaka.
The demands on leaders in global diplomacy have only grown but that hasn’t made negotiations more meaningful.
It’s an expensive habit to think about the military not as a practical tool but as a symbol of strategic intent.
A minimalist approach based on arms control, risk reduction and deterrence is what’s needed right now on the Peninsula.
While the machinations might appear incomprehensible, some trends can be detected in PNG’s complicated party system.
A loose arrangement between Australia and Indonesia over the uninhabited islands is set to become a little less loose.
Given distances and demands on crew and aircraft, a US bomber fleet near Darwin amounts to only modest change.
Australia is bringing home families that lived under Islamic State, and experience overseas offers valuable lessons.
What happens in Europe won’t stay in Europe. Rifts on China risk common understanding with partners, Australia included.
APEC faces some new competition as Australia considers the sovereign risks involved in reducing domestic gas prices.
Gender equality is not just an “add-on”, it is essential to a functioning society. Funding must reflect that.
With only half the Indo-Pacific a democracy, a collective approach is needed to bolster critical institutions.
A revamp of RAAF Tindal for the nuclear-capable aircraft creates opportunities well beyond military confidence building.
Attempting to mimic the Australian model ignores the striking differences that confront post-Brexit Britain.
Beyond escaping floods and crowds, the location of the new capital will have economic and geopolitical ramifications.
Australian funding to its Pacific neighbour outstripped the region’s major partners by four to one during the pandemic.
Beijing has taken steps to increase its influence in the island region at the same time as its aid levels decline.
The angry reaction to Richard Marles’ comments should be a warning to Canberra about the need to settle past grievances.
The development funding arena in the Pacific is a crowded space. But local actors are often forced to take back seat.
Win, lose or draw in Russia’s bold attack, the Indo-Pacific may be the new frontier for autocracies to test their limits.
A sand-rimmed paradise with a long nuclear history has a surprising amount of clout in the Washington vs Beijing game.
The very loyalists that have facilitated Xi’s rise could yet provide a constraint to his ambition.
A unique Arabica crop has the potential to improve women’s financial inclusion and climate change all at once.
Spring carnival it’s not, but even amid chaos, the competitive spirit can find an outlet.
As two littoral states with significant sway, Australia and India can act as a conduit to link regional groupings.
Australia's interests – near and far – are best served by consistent support for an effective multilateral system.
Far from advancing the cause of peace, the government risks separating Australia’s position from its closest friends.
Escalating tensions and vicious cycles. We’ve heard this story before. That doesn’t make the situation less dangerous.
Australia’s interest won’t be served by supporting US efforts to build a high fence around China’s technology industry.
The League of Nations gave delegates from the antipodes a taste for progressive internationalism that remains today.
A form guide to the key races that will determine what role Republicans play in the US approach to regional challenges.
The island countries stand to benefit from any improvement in relations between two big development partners.
A binary Australian foreign policy isn’t on the cards. Engagement is still the best way to support regional democracy.
The Bretton Woods institutions may face existential challenges from the decoupling of the United States and China.
The latest national congress declares ambition for the people central to all reforms – with the Party’s guiding hand.
The new National Security Strategy at least acknowledges the shape of the problem even if not yet providing an answer.
Putin is driven by the imperatives of regime security – preserving his kleptocratic rule – not national security.
If New Delhi wants Taipei to help build supply chain security, it should expect Taiwan to ask for more political support.
The order fashioned for the 80 years since the Second World War has been far better than the 30 years before it.
It is difficult to imagine Xi Jinping brokering peace in Ukraine, but if China wants to be respected, this is a chance.
Amiable talk about safeguarding partners and protecting marine environment hasn’t allayed suspicions.
Fresh attacks by the Pakistani Taliban mark an alarming regression in the decade-long progress made in the region.
A memoir on collective historical baggage has much to teach about the evolution and maturation of both nations.
Misunderstandings about the challenges involved are resulting in stigma, unemployment and isolation.
Would the use of a lower yield atomic weapon really prompt the same catastrophic logic of escalation?
The new PM may see global affairs as welcome theatre to demonstrate leadership and distract from domestic pressure.
Worried about the rise of China? Maybe you should be rooting for another five-year term from the supreme leader.
A seemingly radical approach that relies on prevention and relinquishing control may be a foreign policy game-changer.
Is the New Zealand–European Union free trade agreement an omen for Australia’s negotiations?
A new agreement is a chance to address the core problems of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Without a comprehensive public opinion survey of Pacific people, common attitudes can be challenging to identify.
The government has a chance to define the criteria used in the hard choices about how to allocate scarce aid dollars.
No manner of sanctions appears to dent Pyongyang’s determination to remain solitary and nuclear armed.
More Maldivians per capita went to Syria to fight than any other country. Reintegration is a significant challenge.
A new study reveals difficult trade-offs between development spending on governance and the decline of democracy.
The regime has trampled not only women’s rights. An array of grievances makes everyone a leader of this struggle.
Regional stability, economic resilience and mutual prosperity – what’s not to like about a cross-border FTZ?
Regional leaders would do well to focus on engagement with Pyongyang after missile launches set a dangerous precedent.
It helps to ensure feelings of respect and value infuse diplomacy – and the management of foreign relations, too.
Manila can make its mark in the Indo-Pacific by choosing its friends, and its maritime deterrents, strategically.
What charges are laid against women returned to Australia will help us better understand the role they played in Syria.
Canberra can learn a lot about risk appetite and the culture of financing from those already in the space.
Beijing is a minor player in development finance for Dili – but it’s a different story with state-owned enterprises.
Sunglasses are a staple in the US President’s diplomatic style but not every leader can share the benefit.
In PNG’s history, the death penalty has now been abolished twice. The country can take a step to see it never returns.
With its industry and agriculture reliant on diminishing H2O, a crisis looms for the world’s most populous country.
Sentencing Sean Turnell to jail won’t help the Myanmar junta’s international isolation or its domestic problems.
Iranians see demonstrations as a chance to register their voice – but that doesn’t mean the regime is about to topple.
Being able to sink ships doesn’t end a war. Australia should consider ballistic nuclear missile subs as an alternative.
Researcher Sarah Hightower explains Japan’s reckoning over the influence of a controversial sect in Japanese politics.
Judicial independence and access to justice is at risk as judges face deportation and suspension from office.
The regime is struggling to contain demonstrations that demand nothing less than an end to the Islamic Republic.
Wildlife doesn’t care for political boundaries, but nationalism can prove a stubborn obstacle to conservation efforts.
The military balance is shifting China’s way, and half-abandoning a policy of strategic ambiguity won’t change that.
As the war in Ukraine goes from bad to worse, Russia may still win a vote to reshape the net as we know it.
Putin’s new escalatory threats and the near-existential battle for Russia and its president.
As soon as public money is on the table, there will be a line of players looking to “clip the ticket”.
Can a female finance minister in Indonesia avoid the demographic dilemma that has handicapped Japan’s evolution?
Cutting subsidies is a step in the right direction, but a more robust social safety net is ultimately a better fix.
The movement is clearly capable of violence yet proved divided and poorly trained. But campaigning is another matter.
Yes, “our planet is burning”, yet those leaders with the power to act are stubbornly guarding their own little patch.
Leaving close to a million people in limbo poses a danger not only for the refugees but to regional peace.
When Washington doesn’t speak with one voice, its powers of strategic ambiguity are slowly chipped away.
The promise is a “no limits” friendship. But there are evident boundaries, all the same.
A DFI would expand Canberra’s development toolkit and re-establish the country as a serious financing partner in Asia.
Consulting people with disabilities about their experience and needs is a first step in leading preparations.
In a world without physical cash, differing standards for digital currencies risk creating exclusionary trade blocs.
An extraordinary consular response followed the deadly attack – lessons of crisis that would become all too familiar.
Sovereignty, trust and mutual benefit are all at stake when so many regions come together under the Indo-Pacific banner.
Vast troves of historical data exist on negotiations and responses and agreements. The trick is a means to read it.
Indonesia’s police, military and prisons were altered by the 2002 attack. Democratic backsliding may signal an undoing.
The shock of surprise has faded and a new tone from new voices may ease some concerns. But objections remain.
Trade is the path to regional prosperity, but the four partners stand divided on how this can be achieved.
Energy security is shifting to new interdependencies based on alternate fuels and rare earths.
Australians deserve the details of what nuclear-powered submarines mean – for national defence and identity alike.
Tackling the threat first means appreciating the scope, appeal and transnational character of the narratives driving it.
The big powers should pay more attention to the cooperative instincts of regional partners.
A likely face-to-face meeting between Putin, Xi and Modi will be an uncomfortable sight for Quad partners.
Insights from six of the region’s most interesting economic thinkers show the pathway to collective growth is not clear.
A new book explores pride and defiance as weapons of history in the world’s socialist and autocratic bloc.
The Greater Sunrise LNG field will top his agenda, along with economic diversification and ASEAN membership.
Australia has a growing personal connection to the South American giant, with diplomatic ties yet to catch up.
A new internet for the people and by the people is on the horizon. But decentralised power has its own problems.
Reforming the Bali Process will provide a genuine forum for Australia and partners to prepare ahead of the next crisis.
A long-delayed report finding human rights abuses – though damning – is a sign of China’s level of influence at the United Nations.
Bending the truth corrupts confidence in democratic institutions and risks a race to the bottom.
Acknowledging the continent’s centre is “moving eastwards” marked the German chancellor’s address as visionary, of sorts.
Just a diplomat doing his job? A new book puts the spotlight back on Australia, Russia and interference in the US election.
Ratifying this deeply unpopular legislation would see the Jokowi administration attempting to placate political Islam.
What is the effect of the death of a Russian ultranationalist? Unfortunately, more of the same, it seems.
Australians thought they understood the shape of a shared regional future but today its contours look less certain.
Allowing more power for the provinces under a decentralised system of governance will be a step towards stability.
A democratic Taiwan has considerable agency and capacity to affect the dynamics of power in East Asia.
The Foreign Minister was asked about the new Interpreter series and her answer was an insight into balancing priorities.
After an easy election win, the Philippine president is facing challenges at home and abroad.
Depending on how you count it, Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure could be up in 2023 … or not. In politics, numbers matter.
A sticky question about a prohibited import to Australia might give Anthony Albanese something to chew over.
Regional expertise needs to extend well beyond base literacy and towards a more Asia-capable workforce.
Emotions have inevitably subsided but support for Ukraine remains resolute – enough to dismay Putin-loving populists.
Stronger local ties will help the United States play catch-up in its quest to effectively compete with China.
The whole world’s a stage when it comes to promoting the power behind the “one China” narrative.
Beijing is blamed unfairly for its role in the island’s crisis – but its response has hardly enhanced China’s influence.
Mining asteroids? Growing food in space? Good governance will be essential to sharing the realm beyond Earth.
Jakarta’s lack of civic green spaces sets the scene for Citayam Fashion Week – a couture protest of sorts.
Beijing’s latest white paper on Taiwan is a marked shift in tone from the more accommodating versions past.
New Zealand can bolster the international rules-based order by working towards Pacific women’s political representation.
Norway’s ambassador takes a moment in his last week in Canberra to explain what he would tell Anthony Albanese.
Delhi plays a delicate balancing act between self-interest and historical friendship. And it’s all about oil and gas.
I was twice an enemy to al-Qaeda’s leader, both near and far. His influence in seeding militant Islamists was profound.
New foreign investment rules, nuisance tariffs and supply chains are all under scrutiny by the Productivity Commission.
With the world focused on Ukraine, Taiwan and elsewhere, North Korea is making mischief and remains a threat.
Transparency in deciding who gets to represent the country abroad can only be a benefit.
President Marcos’ decision not to participate in an international investigation is a setback for human rights.
The status quo in the Strait has changed. But is anyone really tuning in as the drama unfolds?
Protesters might assume a corrupt system will crumble, but the political class might be just as determined to hang on.
Collaborations between Australia and its regional partners on skills, knowledge and capacity offer a win-win scenario.
South Korea's threat to pre-emptively decapitate the leadership in Pyongyang may drag the United States into a conflict.
A former president of the Asian Development Bank reminisces about dealing with the rise of China.
Shocking violence has captured headlines. A higher benchmark is needed in support of a free and credible ballot.
Putin and Erdoğan have forgiven all manner of friendship-breaking behaviour to retain their power in Eurasia.
The speaker has a long history of standing against Beijing. But Asia’s balance of military power has changed.