CAC-handed: tensions in Chinese internet control
State control of the internet in China is a story of fragmentation and arbitrary shifts.
Taiwan’s small-power diplomacy
Taipei is facing more competition from Beijing over which “China” is allowed to exist in the international community.
Disappearing Deng
Xi Jinping has pickpocketed from the Deng Xiaoping era, while diminishing the man hailed as the “Architect of Reform”.
Diplomacy in the post-broadcasting era
Projecting Australia’s interests now demands a very different suite of approaches from those of days gone by.
Who has been best for Australia: Trump or Obama?
It should concern Australia that Trump treats his potential enemies better than his loyal long-time friends.
The women taking on spycams in South Korea
Growing grass-roots action by Korean individuals and businesses is being taken against female sexual harassment.
The Belt and Road’s difficult embrace
China’s debt, not an unwillingness to adopt Chinese standards, may be the greatest obstacle to the BRI.
Bring Australia’s Navy home from the Middle East
The RAN has bigger jobs to do than chasing Tanzanian drug smugglers.
Foreign aid and religion in the Pacific
Development programs aimed at nudging Pacific societies often fail against a solid wall of religiously based objections.
Weekend catch-up: Made in China 2025 and more
Chinese influence in Singapore, ABC broadcasting, DFAT on Facebook, and more: the week that was on The Interpreter.
Yemen and the drone innovation
If pro-Houthi media claims are believed, the use of drones as weapons is increasingly strategic and more than tactical.
Aid: investing in impact
DFAT’s innovationXchange has created momentum in public–private aid partnerships, but cannot fund long-term innovation.
Shinzo Abe’s road to be Japan’s longest serving PM
All the stars are aligned in Abe’s favour to secure his party presidency and continue as prime minister beyond his term.
Made in China 2025 and US–China power competition
Encouraging indigenous innovation is laudable but should not be conflated with technology nativism and protectionism.
The many ways to be Chinese Singaporean
Beijing’s attempts to appeal to young Chinese Singaporeans may fall on deaf ears.
Is Russia’s military better than America’s?
Contrast gains from US interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, with Russia in Georgia, Syria and Ukraine.
Indonesia: speaking for rights
Amnesty International’s entry into Indonesia will help to hold Jokowi to account ahead of national elections in 2019.
Shining more light on aid in the Pacific
The Pacific Aid Map, an interactive data tool, will improve aid transparency and accountability in the Pacific.
Saudis try block Canada’s feminist foreign policy
An online spat has escalated into a formal diplomatic break in a test of the values professed by the Trudeau government.
Pacific links: PNG spice, talking to the region
Mapping aid in the Pacific, questions about infrastructure and more links about the Pacific by The Interpreter team.
A new court for Nauru
Recent developments might allay some concerns about the the independence of the judiciary in the Pacific nation.
Malaysia: Mahathir navigates the region
How much has Mahathir changed in his orientation towards the West in the last 15 years?
Tips for DFAT: how to Facebook
So much digital diplomacy is lost to the ether, but a few posts, in a few surprising places, are a real hit.
Kiwi Act marks “new” relationship with US
The first significant pro–New Zealand legislation since the Senate ratified the ANZUS treaty in 1951 has been passed.
What Kim Jong-un really wants hasn’t changed
Donald Trump has leverage. Pyongyang wants something he has to help with the parlous state of the North Korean economy.
Indo-Pacific: where is the money coming from?
Trilateral investment in infrastructure is a step in the right direction, but significant budget details are lacking.
Timor and Australia: a new chapter or a stalemate?
After the maritime boundary treaty, tensions remain over development of the Greater Sunrise gas fields.
International broadcasting: not so simple as ABC
Australia’s future international public broadcasting should be placed in the hands of a new independent body.
Pakistan: the tough road ahead for Imran Khan
A hostile opposition, an economy in crisis and navigating a tense history with India confront Pakistan’s new government.
Wanted: Yingluck
The requested extradition of Thailand’s former prime minister warns of trouble ahead for free and fair elections.
Idols in South Korea and Japan
A reality TV contest for pop music contestants from South Korea and Japan has an undertone of national competition, too.
Weekend catch-up: duelling infrastructure and more
Prime Minister Imran Khan, trans-Tasman squabbles, and mob lynchings in India: the week that was on The Interpreter.
An emerging Indo-Pacific infrastructure strategy
The outlines of a potentially promising four-pronged approach to the region’s infrastructure needs can be discerned.
Can the Fed resist Trump’s pressure?
The Federal Reserve faces a president from the world of real estate, where low interest rates are always good.
South Korea’s first “human rights president"
Moon Jae-in’s unwillingness to speak up for the vulnerable is disappointing, given his record on human rights.
Drones, clones, and camera phones
How the use of surveillance technology balances civil liberties and public safety depends on the government in charge.
Economic diplomacy brief: infrastructure and trade
US–Japan–Australia infrastructure cooperation, ADB circumspect about China’s BRI, and more.
India: don’t blame WhatsApp for the lynch mobs
In a climate of hate, vigilantism has been allowed to run amok, and the perpetrators of violence enjoy impunity.
ASEAN might not be the way
Several Southeast Asian nations fall short of adhering to a “rules-based order” and may not be the hedge against China.
China’s “rule of law in international relations”
No one is much paying heed but understanding this concept might be key to comprehending a China-led international order.
Aid links: dealing with data deluge, more
Fighting pessimism, measuring success, and other stories from the aid and development sector.
NZ and Australia: Big Brothers or Distant Cousins?
New Zealand needs to stamp an identity on its new Pacific policy.
Against female genital mutilation in India
A petition campaign has sparked debate on a cruel practice too long ignored in India’s Dawoodi Bohra community.
Managing the release of convicted terrorists
Australia is trialling new rehabilitation programs that balance the rights of convicted terrorists with public safety.
The new US–Japan–Australia infrastructure fund
Without significant resources, the initiative risks looking like an attempt to challenge China, and falling short.
When friends disagree: New Zealand and Australia
While New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been on leave, a new chapter in trans-Tasman relations has begun.
Sri Lanka failing on human rights
A new UN report on protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country makes for depressing reading.
Perspectives on “rules-based international order”
Three fault lines – nostalgia, challengers, and alternatives – seem to divide views on the global politics catchcry.
Julie Bishop’s new Timor-Leste chapter
Tension remains between Australia and its neighbour despite the minister’s optimistic words.