China

AUKUS commits Australia to fight China if America does, simple
AUKUS commits Australia to fight China if America does, simple
Defence Minister Richard Marles is sure that the AUKUS submarine deal does not commit Australia to support America in a war with China over Taiwan. He made the point in two…
Australia, China, AUKUS and the squandered advantage
Australia, China, AUKUS and the squandered advantage
Australia suffers from a deficit of expertise on China’s military capabilities, and it is distorting the national debate about the threat China poses to Australia. Under the…
Is a stable Afghanistan where China, Russia and the US cooperate?
Is a stable Afghanistan where China, Russia and the US cooperate?
There is little that the United States can concur with China and Russia at a time regularly described as a “Second (or New) Cold War”. Yet amid all the ideological differences,…
Economic diplomacy: unlocked Laos looks for new links
Economic diplomacy: unlocked Laos looks for new links
All aboard Next year will be the 30th anniversary of one of Australia’s signature contributions to economic development in Southeast Asia – the Friendship Bridge spanning the…
Will China really funnel weapons to Russia through Belarus?
Will China really funnel weapons to Russia through Belarus?
Just prior to his three-day trip to Beijing on 28 February, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko issued a warning. “We have absolutely no intentions to attack Ukraine…
Beijing and the birth rate: a question of human rights for women
Beijing and the birth rate: a question of human rights for women
As China grapples with population decline, the pressure on women in China is only increasing. Under paramount leader Xi Jinping, women’s rights continue to deteriorate as the…
Balance of power in Asia now shifting away from China
Commentary
Balance of power in Asia now shifting away from China
Originally published in The Australian.
Chinese interference is dangerous – but also often ineffective and counterproductive
Chinese interference is dangerous – but also often ineffective and counterproductive
In a speech at the Australian National University last week, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil minced no words about how the government perceives the danger of foreign…
Wang Yi’s fruitless diplomacy in Europe
Wang Yi’s fruitless diplomacy in Europe
China has begun a diplomatic “charm offensive”, a seeming shift from the aggressive “wolf warrior” tone of recent years. Last month, Vice Premier Liu He travelled to Davos for the…
Balloon goes up for Washington’s “decisive decade”
Balloon goes up for Washington’s “decisive decade”
US President Joe Biden’s 2022 US National Security Strategy underscored the “decisive decade” ahead for Washington to advance vital interests and out-manoeuvre its competitors. A…