Let’s be clear: China would call America’s bluff in the South China Sea
Beijing is not just trying to take control of an important body of water. It is trying to take control of East Asia and hopes to use the South China Sea dispute to do that.Australian intelligence reforms: ‘Ain’t broke’ can still be improved
The ultimate issue will not be the politics of allocation of agencies to a new portfolio, but the increased effectiveness of the Australian Intelligence Community through the early implementation of these reforms.Doklam: Paths ahead for India and China
The India-China standoff at the Doklam tri-junction area, now in its second month, is the most serious crisis between the two countries in 30 years.A Home Affairs Ministry: Details to follow
The Home Affairs Ministry announcement was short on detail and unclear in some areas, and the challenge now is to understand how it will work.New Zealand and fighting the nuclear threat: More effort required
Those of us on the line would appreciate some tangible help in holding back the world’s worst nuclear problem; not just empty words and slogans.Migration and border policy links: UNHCR tents, Home Affairs, infrastructure and more
This week's links include a look at the US/Australia refugee swap deal, a European guidebook for refugees, and imagining a world without borders.Our parliamentarians should be Australian-only
Australia being a multicultural country does not obligate its parliament to be a multinational legislature.Macron puts his stamp on French foreign policy
France's President Emmanuel Macron is striking a pragmatic and self-confident tone in the country's foreign policy.Pacific links: PNG’s O’Neill keeps his seat, Mr Tomato, the Cook Islands budget and more
This week's include more and varied fallout from the PNG election - including some results - and a World Heritage victory for French Polynesia.Why Mahathir is at the centre of Malaysia’s opposition power play
The three pillars of the Malay establishment would be much more likely to accept a non-Barisan Nasional government if it is one with Mahathir at the top.Indonesia’s new North Natuna Sea: What’s in a name?
The Jokowi Administration is not the first Southeast Asian government to use name changes to obscure adverse developments on the water in the South China Sea.How the IMF evaluates the Asian financial crisis
The tone of IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa is one of quiet satisfaction. But a different narrative can be told.Separating out important intelligence reforms from Home Affairs
The 2017 Intelligence Review was necessary and its recommendations are pertinent and strong.Politics and policy meet in new Home Affairs Department
The Dutton appointment has given an element of domestic political intrigue to the Prime Minister’s announcement.China sees the West behind Liu Xiaobo
Social media posts by Chinese people around the world suggest the idea that the West has some role in Liu Xiaobo’s downfall has traction.Defence exports to the Gulf: No price on values
We should always be clear-headed about the degree to which it is our interests, rather than shared values, that tie us to states in the Gulf.Why Australia might be on the right encryption-cracking track
Australia may prove to be the test case for a policy solution that has far reaching consequences for privacy, technological development and the future of law enforcement operations.Trump in Warsaw, Hamburg and Paris
In three European cities, we've witnessed a variety of reactions to a US president unlike any the world has seen before.Jokowi’s bungled ban of Hizbut Tahrir
The proposed ban on HTI looks very much like an abuse of state power for political aims.
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