Asia
China and the great global AI governance divide
For all the common global purpose on the need to manage the risks associated with the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, deep fissures about how to govern this new…
Mapping the oceans is the new front in the battle for influence in the Indian Ocean
Hydrography, the mapping of bodies of water and surrounding coastal details, is the new front in the battle for influence in the Indian Ocean. There is growing competition among…
Should Japan expand its security partnerships in the Pacific?
This month, Japan hosted defence and security officials from 14 Pacific Island countries and Western allies for the 2nd Japan Pacific Islands Defence Dialogue. The multilateral…
Opium and the colonial narco-state
Book review: Smoke and ashes: Opium’s hidden histories by Amitav Ghosh (Murray, 2024)
Switching for a while from fiction to fact, Amitav Ghosh has written an account of …
From silence to remembrance: Vietnam’s shifting approach to China
Last month saw official memorials in Vietnam for the 45th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War held in border provinces Quảng Ninh and Hà Giang. Provincial and military…
Where did that Chinese police video come from?
Last night’s 60 Minutes broadcast in Australia featured extraordinary footage of 2017 Chinese police raids in Fiji, followed by the extraction of 77 People’s Republic of China…
The message Japan sends by backing Ukraine
Since the Russian invasion in 2022, Japan has emerged as a steadfast supporter of Ukraine. The notoriously immigration-resistant Japan has so far accepted 2,500 Ukrainian refugees…
The Philippines seeks out old friends and new
The failure of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to secure a substantive joint statement to address South China Sea disputes at last year’s leaders’ summit and the more…
Australia-Vietnam: Middle powers alike
On 7 March, Australia and Vietnam elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP), the highest level in Hanoi’s diplomatic classification. This places…
Australia confronts an Indonesian nickel glut
Australia’s undercooked economic relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was naturally a focal point of discussion during the ASEAN–Australia Special Summit…