Asia
China’s dominance over critical minerals poses an unacceptable risk
Critical minerals are the world's building blocks for emerging and future technologies. They are essential to manufacturing, clean energy production, semiconductor production, and…
Why Japan’s de‑risking response to China is incoherent
While “de-risking” has only recently entered the strategic vocabulary of Western policymakers, Japan has sought to de-risk its economy from China for well over ten years. Yet, the…
A big leap in the credibility of India’s nuclear weapons capability
India’s successful test of its Agni-V land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV) last week represents a…
Reverse colonialism? India and Britain’s free trade agreements
As elections loom, India is in free trade agreement mode. Hot on the heels of announcing the signing of a “landmark” deal with a group of non-EU European countries, India has also…
Shipping and the great shrinking waterways
How low can the Yangtze go?
Although Asia’s longest river is making a slow recovery from the late-2022 drought that stopped some of the traffic up the “golden waterway” that…
Australia-Vietnam: A partnership made in China?
Last week, Australia and Vietnam announced they were elevating their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), marking six years of improved relations since their…
A multilateral bank for the Indo-Pacific?
Governments around the world are facing complex intersecting challenges: how to achieve supply chain diversification and resilience while simultaneously pursuing more ambitious…
Understanding China’s efforts to bridge the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait disputes
Two Asia-Pacific flashpoints – the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait – stand at a critical juncture, but their connection is not always well understood.
In the South China Sea,…
A ring-fence around the Rohingya can’t last – Australia’s policy needs to change
Last year, I wrote in The Interpreter about the nightmare scenario unfolding for the Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, where dwindling aid, a dependent population,…
Great power ambitions: India’s aim at the UN Security Council
India has, time and again, been questioned by Europe on its commitment to buying Russian oil despite the sanctions on Moscow, against the backdrop of the ongoing armed conflict…