The dragon in the Pacific: more opportunity than threat
China runs an opaque aid program in the Pacific that has fuelled suspicions about its motives in the region and that undermines efforts to improve accountability, governance and stability
Monday 27 Sep 2021 | 10:47 | SYDNEY
What's happening on 
Why the Gulf matters: crafting an Australian security policy for the Gulf
The imminent withdrawal of Australian combat forces from Iraq does not mean that the Arabian Gulf is peripheral to Australia's strategic interests.
Geeing up the G-20
In this Policy Brief, Malcolm Cook and Mark Thirlwell make the case for a greater role for the G-20 in the international economic architecture
Looking after Australians overseas
As the number of Australians travelling and living overseas continues to increase, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been forced to devote a growing proportion of its resources to providing consular services to Australian travellers
By Hugh White
Stopping a nuclear arms race between America and China
China and America may be at the start of a destabilising nuclear arms race, as China tries to preserve its ability to deter US nuclear attack in the light of US missile defences and nuclear system upgrades. That would undermine hopes that the US and China can build a stable cooperative relationship
By Hugh White
Design faults: the Asia Pacific’s regional architecture
In a new Policy Brief, Lowy Institute Executive Director Allan Gyngell argues that the Asia Pacific region has too many regional organisations, yet they are still unable to do all the things required of them. This matters at a time when the rising power of China and India presents new challenges
Uranium for India: avoiding the pitfalls
Ron Walker, a former Australian Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, warns that selling uranium to India without the same legal obligations and non-proliferation standards that apply to our other customers could undermine our broader foreign policy interests and weaken
By Ron Walker
A Long Hot Summer
In this Lowy Institute Policy Brief, William Maley and Daoud Yaqub explore the implications of the looming Taliban Spring offensive on the international reconstruction and security effort in Afghanistan
Reinventing 'West Asia'
In conjunction with the launch of the Lowy Institute's West Asia program, Anthony Bubalo, Director of the new program, argues why the Middle East and South Asia increasingly comprise one strategically coherent region, 'West Asia', and explores the policy significance of this for Australia
HIV/AIDS: The looming Asia Pacific pandemic
In a Policy Brief on HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific, Bill Bowtell calls for both a doubling of global funding for the response to the HIV pandemic, and a radical overhaul of strategies that have not brought the global pandemic under control. He proposes that the international community must commit
By Bill Bowtell
China and Taiwan in the South Pacific: diplomatic chess versus Pacific political rugby
In this Lowy Institute Policy Brief, Graeme Dobell looks at how the competition for diplomatic recognition between China and Taiwan is destabilising Island states and undermining Australia's interests in the region
New rules for a new 'Great Game'
In this 2006 paper, Anthony Bubalo and Mark Thirlwell look at how energy insecurity, driven by high demand and uncertainty over supply, is fuelling both an intensification of Asian dependence on Middle Eastern oil and a quest for equity oil
Capital punishment and Australian foreign policy
In this Policy Brief, Dr Michael Fullilove examines how the Australian Government implements its stated opposition to the death penalty. He finds that while Australia is an effective advocate for Australian nationals on death row, we do less than we could in relation to universal abolition.
Football diplomacy
While Australian governments have successfully built pragmatic ties with Asian leaders, a popular dimension to our engagement with Asia has in many respects been missing
How to save APEC
In 2007, Sydney hosted the most important and expensive diplomatic meeting ever held in Australia, the APEC leaders' meeting
Pages