Economic diplomacy brief: Trade under pressure, betting on China, Japan and the AIIB, and more
While freer trade appears to have more global support in polls than political debate might suggest, the same can’t be said for foreign investment.Resilience in the post-RAMSI era
Ultimately, the legacy of RAMSI will not be measured by what was achieved over the last 14 years, but by what happens in the future.A silver fern lining to Fitzgerald collision
Does Te Kaha’s frontline integration at the pointy end of Washington’s maritime 'big stick' constitute a signal of recharged ANZUS alliance cohesion, in the direction of China and North Korea?A new argument for American global leadership
I spent the last two years on the campaign trail. As I talked to people, I came to understand why Trump’s arguments for a reduced American role appealed. I couldn’t say the same for our arguments.Pacific links: RAMSI, Baldwin Lonsdale, PNG voting update and more
This week's links also include a look at the ongoing impact of the 2015-16 drought in PNG, the 2017 Pacific Update and the new documentary, My Father, My Country.Modi-Trump meeting: Signs of continued convergence
Some of the most important progress in US-India relations in recent years has been on Indo-Pacific issues.What did we learn from the Asian crisis?
The common view was that the Asian countries, like Icarus, had flown too close to the sun in their hubris-fueled growth and had crashed back to earth.Media scrutiny of China is critical for Australia
Australia could well change in fundamental ways if it moved to accommodate China’s growing power without regard to questions of value, integrity and public trust.Canada, Australia and the liberal international order in the Trump era
Can middle powers like Australia and Canada maintain their societal liberalism in a global order no longer supported by the US? We might soon find out.Enabling moderates is the answer to Southeast Asia’s IS problem
The Philippines and the wider region must engage and enable grassroots moderates. It must start in Marawi.Hong Kong 20 years after the handover: Locked in stasis
Never has the hand of the Beijing state apparatus been more visible in the city.Aid and development links: Contractors, WHO leadership, aid budgets and more
The role of private contractors in the aid sector, how impact-measuring affects development, the link between resources and violence, and more.An appetite for risk? Food security in the South Pacific
A relatively recent change in diet risks having a devastating effect on an entire generation of Pacific Islanders.Rising interest rates and the RBA
My guess is the RBA is already thinking about a program of rate increases that will continue for several years.South China Sea: US policy must begin at home
Washington should forget about the South China Sea for a while and focus instead on rebuilding the credibility of America’s strategic commitment to Asia where it matters most – at home.The tragedy of Otto Warmbier
North Korea’s ongoing, violent history of ignoring even the most basic global rules makes Pyongyang almost impossible to trust.Weekend catch-up: The Lowy Institute Poll, Saudi succession, PNG elections and more
The release of the 2017 Low Institute Poll, MBN replaced by MBS, Shinzo Abe's domestic situation, PNG's national elections and more.A revived Quad won't help Australia
Australia has a perfect right to form associations, groupings, dialogues and alliances with whomever it chooses. But wise statecraft does not deal only with entitlements and rights.Migration and border policy links: World Refugee Week, internal migration, Brexit and more
This week's links also include an infographic of the world's smuggling routes and an exploration of ambivalence in Asia toward refugees.
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