Publications

view

What to make of India's nuclear forces

In this article on The Diplomat's Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks at the security implications of India's recent submarine-launched ballistic missile test for Indo-Pacific Asia

By Rory Medcalf

view

G20 needs sharp focus

Mike Callaghan, Director of the G20 Studies Centre at the Lowy Institute, writes in an opinion piece in The Australian Financial Review on the challenges for Australia as it takes over as chair of the G20 in December 2013

By Mike Callaghan

view

Staying the executioners' guns?

In a new piece for Inside Indonesia, Lowy Institute Research Fellow Dr Dave McRae outlines signs that Indonesia may move towards abolition of the death penalty, and examines how Indonesia is reconciling its foreign and domestic policy on capital punishment. Read the full text of Staying the

By Dave McRae

view

Global risk into 2013: Time for some cautious optimism?

In comments prepared for the Australian launch of the WEF’s Global Risks Report 2013, Mark Thirlwell takes a look at the risk outlook for the global economy, and asks whether some of the current market optimism is justified

By Mark Thirlwell

view

China's foreign policy dilemma

Therefore Chinese foreign policy can be expected to be reactive. This may have serious consequences because of the potentially explosive nature of two of China's most pressing foreign policy challenges: how to decrease tensions with Japan and with Southeast Asian states over diverse territorial

By Linda Jakobson

view

Shinzo Abe's strategic diamond

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks at the possibility of Shinzo Abe reviving the quadrilateral dialogue in his second term as Prime Minister of Japan

By Rory Medcalf

view

A term whose time has come: the Indo-Pacific

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf advocates for the usage of the term ‘Indo-Pacific’ to describe the emerging Asian strategic system

By Rory Medcalf

view

Making sense of North Korea’s fireworks

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks at the regional and global implications of the surprise launch of a North Korean rocket on December 12, 2012

By Rory Medcalf

view

A sobering assessment

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks at what the U.S. National Intelligence Council’s 2030 Report, Alternative Worlds, says for Indo-Pacific Asia

By Rory Medcalf

view

A frightening prospect: war in the East China Sea

In this article on The Diplomat’s China Power blog, Rory Medcalf responds to Hugh White’s contention that imminent conflict may be on the horizon for Beijing and Tokyo over tensions in the East China Sea

By Rory Medcalf

view

Can military diplomacy keep the peace in 2013?

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks the prospect of using bilateral and multilateral military diplomacy to manage security tensions in Asia

By Rory Medcalf

view

Britain’s Asia comeback

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf questions the likelihood of Britain becoming a serious security player in Asia

By Rory Medcalf

view

Australia and India: common goals, budding partnership

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf examines Australia and India’s strategic partnership following Bob Carr’s visit to India

By Rory Medcalf

view

Australia's security challenge

In this article on The Diplomat’s Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks at the Gillard government’s National Security Strategy in the context of recent cuts to defence spending, and the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper

By Rory Medcalf

view

Relaunching the G20

Australia and the world needs a focused and effective G20. But the forum is in danger of losing its way. This Analysis identifies nine key lessons from the G20’s history that can help relaunch it. This should be Australia’s goal when it chairs the G20 in 2014

By Mike Callaghan

view

Can social media calm the waters between Japan and China?

In an opinion piece in American Review magazine, Rory Medcalf analyses the effect social media has had on relations between Japan and China in the East China Sea

By Rory Medcalf

view

Why Australia trembles as America teeters on the brink

In an opinion piece in The Age, Mark Thirwell discusses the last-minute negotiations to prevent the US economy from plunging lemming-like over the so-called fiscal cliff and back into recession

By Mark Thirlwell

view

Northeast Asia turns its attention to the Arctic

In an analysis brief for the National Bureau of Asian Research, Lowy Institute East Asia Program Director Linda Jakobson writes that China, Japan, and South Korea are all vigorously lobbying to become a permanent observer on the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum established in 1996.

By Linda Jakobson

view

Environmental change and migration: implications for Australia

In the Pacific Islands region, climate change and natural disasters could displace potentially thousands of people in coming years. A significant number of these people could end up as environmental migrants to Australia. In this Analysis, Dr Khalid Koser argues that Australia

By Khalid Koser

view

Digital islands: how the Pacific ICT revolution is transforming the region

The Pacific Islands region is in the midst of an information and communications technology (ICT) revolution that could have profound implications, particularly for democratic governance and the region’s development.

By Danielle Cave

view

India and China: competitive coexistence in the Asian Century

In this book chapter, the Lowy Institute’s Rory Medcalf and Ashley Townshend examine the factors that are likely to influence the strategic dynamic of the China-India bilateral relationship in the Asian Century. Although engagement through trade, defence dialogue and high-level visits has

By Rory Medcalf, Ashley Townshend

view

Australia place in the Asian century

In this extended article for The Diplomat, the Lowy Institute’s Rory Medcalf examines the aspirations and the omissions of the Australia’s Government’s October 2012 Asian Century white paper. He argues that the paper presents too benign and linear a view of the Asian strategic

By Rory Medcalf

view

The audacity of reasonableness: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, US foreign policy and Australia

At first glance, the differences between the two candidates for president of the United States in 2012, President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, are striking. Each candidate is doing his best to emphasise these differences. Most commentators have drawn sharp distinctions between the two

By Michael Fullilove

view

Pirates and privateers: managing the Indian Ocean private security boom

The fight against Somali-based pirates is becoming a private battle as global defence cuts reduce naval counter-piracy deployments. Because governments have struggled to contain the spread of piracy in the Indian Ocean, shipping companies have turned to private military security companies to

By James Brown

view

Anaemic ascent: why China currency is far from going global

China’s currency is on the rise. Buoyed by the economy’s outperformance and global trade impact, policy steps over the past few years have thrust the renminbi onto the global stage. Is the renminbi going to climb to become a major reserve currency? Not so fast.

By Alistair Thornton

view

National perspectives on global leadership during the Los Cabos G20 Summit

International Economy Program Director Mark Thirlwell is a contributor to a CIGI-Brookings Institution project on National Perspectives on Global Leadership. The seventh instalment of the Soundings Series, looking at the Los Cabos G20 Summit, is now available for download here.

By Mark Thirlwell

view

Extract from 'The China choice: why America should share power'

This is an extract from The China choice: why America should share power by Hugh White, published by Black Inc. The China choice will be released on Monday 6 August, RRP $29.99, and is also available as an ebook. http://www.blackincbooks.com/books/china-choice

By Hugh White

view

The Eurozone bad bets: a beginner guide to the Eurozone crisis

In this new Working Paper, Mark Thirlwell provides a beginner’s guide to the Eurozone crisis.

By Mark Thirlwell

view

From the Fall of the Wall to the Fall of the Banks and beyond: three persistent problems for the global economy

In this 2010 working paper, Mark Thirlwell looks at the changing shape of a global economy that was born with the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989.

By Mark Thirlwell

view

The spectre of Malthus

In this 2009 Lowy Institute working paper, Mark Thirlwell looks at some initial lessons from the 2007-2008 crisis about living in a resource-constrained world. A revised version of this working paper was published in the journal Survival in June-July 2009: A New Era of Food Insecurity? By Alan

By Mark Thirlwell

view

Egypt Islamist President: what lies ahead?

On 30 June 2012, Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was sworn in as Egypt’s first ever democratically elected President. In an effort to address some of the questions raised by this development, we are republishing, with a new foreword, the Muslim Brotherhood chapter from the 2008 Lowy

By Anthony Bubalo

view

Australia - China ties: in search of political trust

Australia's political relationship with China is far less developed than its economic relationship. This is detrimental to Australia's interests because China is not merely an economic power but also a crucial political and security actor in the region. Underdeveloped political and strategic

By Linda Jakobson

view

The Lowy Institute Poll 2012: Public opinion and foreign policy

The eighth annual Lowy Institute Poll reports the results of a nationally representative opinion survey of 1,005 Australian adults conducted in Australia between 26 March and 10 April 2012 using mobile and landline telephones. It also reports the results of a parallel survey conducted in New

By Fergus Hanson

view

Final submissions to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia overseas representation

Final submissions in Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Inquiry into Australia's overseas representation were published by the Committee on 8 May 2012. In their final submissions, Alex Oliver and Fergus Hanson answer further questions from

By Alex Oliver, Fergus Hanson

view

China expanding role in Africa and implications for the EU

East Asia Program Director Linda Jakobson examines China's expanding role in Africa and the implications for China-EU relations in 'Europe and China: Strategic Partners or Rivals?', a book edited by Dr Roland Vogt and published by Hong Kong University Press. In the chapter, Jakobson and Jacob Wood

By Linda Jakobson

view

China could be slowing faster than we think

Whilst headline output numbers show China’s economy gliding – more or less – towards a soft landing, several indicators suggest the distinct possibility of a sharper-than-expected slowdown

By Alistair Thornton

view

The world economy, Murphy's law and Finagle's corollary

Over the second half of 2011, the world economy seemed to be sliding inexorably towards another major financial crisis. In the event, actions by an aggressive European Central Bank managed to halt the slide to Eurogeddon. But a fragile world economy remains dangerously vulnerable to adverse shocks

By Mark Thirlwell

view

Global fiscal adjustment and trade rebalancing

The emergence of substantial fiscal deficits and a large build-up of government debt in major advanced economies will inevitably lead to a period of fiscal consolidation in coming years.

By Warwick McKibbin, Andrew B Stoeckel

view

Inflection point: The Australian Defence Force after Afghanistan

In every era there are inflection points which require long-established institutions to re-evaluate their goals, strategy, structure and resource allocations to ensure their future health and relevance. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is no exception

By Alan Dupont

view

The 2012 national elections in Papua New Guinea: Averting violence

The 2012 general elections in Papua New Guinea are likely to be marred by violence. The increased financial bounty at stake, the enhanced value of political office, the proliferation of weapons, and pressures on PNG’s Electoral Commission, Defence Force and police combine to highlight security

By Scott Flower, Jim Leahy

view

Revolution@State: the spread of ediplomacy

This report is the first time the rapidly growing ediplomacy effort at the US State Department has been mapped. It reveals State now employs over 150 full-time ediplomacy personnel working in 25 different nodes at Headquarters. More than 900 people use ediplomacy at US missions abroad. The

By Fergus Hanson

view

Indonesia Poll 2012: Shattering stereotypes: public opinon and foreign policy

The Lowy Institute Indonesia Poll reports the results of the Institute’s second opinion poll in Indonesia. The findings challenge many assumptions about Indonesia on issues like attitudes towards Australia and the United States, openness to foreign investment, democracy, trust in other countries,

By Fergus Hanson

view

A key domino? Indonesia death penalty politics

The application of the death penalty by Australia's Southeast Asian neighbours recurrently strains bilateral relations. Lowy Institute Research Fellow Dr Dave McRae examines Indonesia's stance on the death penalty and the prospects for abolition in Australia's key regional neighbour.

By Dave McRae

view

The dangers of denial: nuclear weapons in China-India relations

Is a dangerous nuclear competition emerging between the two most populous nations? In this Lowy Institute Analysis, Fiona Cunningham and Rory Medcalf warn of nuclear dangers as China and India rise. The authors call for a strategic stability dialogue embedded in mutual respect, to ensure possible

By Rory Medcalf, Fiona Cunningham

view

Fiji at home and in the world: public opinion and foreign policy

The Lowy Institute’s first Fiji Poll was a wide-ranging survey of public opinion in Fiji about the performance of Fiji’s military-led government and Fiji’s relations with the world. Questions focused on the implementation of government promises, the role of Fiji’s military, and democracy.

By Jenny Hayward-Jones

view

Obama alliances

In this Lowy Institute paper Dr Steven Casey explores the Obama administration’s approach to alliances as the United States experiences relative economic and military decline in the context of a changing security environment in the Asia-Pacific region

By Steven Casey

view

Launch of Antarctica Policy Brief

In the Food for Thought event in Canberra on 8 August 2011, National Security Fellow Ellie Fogarty launched a report that analyses what Australia’s national interests in Antarctica are, and considers how they might best be protected and advanced in the future. She was joined in a panel discussion

By Ellie Fogarty, Brett Biddington, Donald Rothwell

view

Antarctica: Assessing and protecting Australia national interests

Long-term threats to Australia’s dormant claim to 42 per cent of Antarctica include growing interest in the continent’s resource potential from such major powers as China and Russia. The paper recommends policy changes and capability investments to protect Australia’s interests.

By Ellie Fogarty

view

Enduring ties and enduring interests?

Largely as a consequence of military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia has developed strong defence ties with key GCC countries. But with these deployments coming to an end, the future is in question

By Rodger Shanahan

view

Turning the tide: improving access to climate financing in the Pacific Islands

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) commits developed countries to provide climate financing to developing nations, to address climate impacts on food security, water supply, agriculture and public health. But despite recent commitments of 'fast start' climate funding

By Nic Maclellan

Search

Institute - Top Menu

Publications

Pages

Useful Links

Contact Us

Our Location