2 days ago Myanmar and ASEAN’s parallel diplomacy trap Vu Lam In Southeast Asia, national imperatives are increasingly outweighing regional cohesion.
2 days ago A border skirmish and leaked phone call sees the Thailand-Cambodia dispute surge back to life Susannah Patton An international dispute that is all about domestic politics.
2 days ago Destabilisation of refugee camps in Bangladesh could lead to a new exodus of Rohingyas David Brewster A security breakdown and aid reductions could push refugees to seek dangerous alternative routes.
2 days ago No Trump photo-op for the PM but a reminder where Australia’s future lies Leigh Howard The cancelled G7 meeting is a timely reminder that Australia’s most promising opportunities lie in deeper engagement with our region.
2 days ago India and Pakistan are on a global charm offensive, but is it worth listening? Chietigj Bajpaee Both sides have a story to tell but dialogue appears to be a dead end.
2 days ago Australians see through tariff fears to real economic threat Jenny Gordon Latest Lowy polling shows strong support for local manufacturing, but green tech backing might be on the slide.
2 days ago US-China: Rather than mutual understanding, strive for competition without conflict Sophie Wushuang Yi Military hotlines and exercise notifications could reduce escalation risks while acknowledging persistent misreading of intent.
2 days ago Albanese must learn that smiles and handshakes with Trump won’t save Australia’s AUKUS ambitions John Lee Dealing with Trump 2.0 demands concrete defence spending increases, not diplomatic charm, as Pentagon reviews submarine deal.
2 days ago What year is it in China? Rethinking the timeline of a rising power Vincent So China’s international posture reflects not the confidence of a stable hegemon, but the impulses of a nationalist power in transition.
18 Jun 2025 Why DEI won't DIE: 80 years of protecting rights and fighting for equality Fiona McGaughey The protection of human rights and principles of equality are fundamental to international law and can’t be dismantled overnight by one state alone.
18 Jun 2025 How America First could undermine the Quad’s critical minerals plans Manish Vaid A counter to Beijing’s resource dominance is best served by coordinated action, but Donald Trump wants to go his own way.
18 Jun 2025 AI’s war on consent: Women face coded misogyny Cynthia Mehboob Evidence is growing from across the world that digital platforms increasingly enable gender-based violence with authorities slow to catch-up.
17 Jun 2025 Australia overtakes China in the Pacific as America vacates the lane Mihai Sora Public perceptions of influence measured in the latest Lowy Institute Poll see Australia surge ahead as the “permanent contest” unfolds.
17 Jun 2025 Israel–Iran conflict: Moscow positions itself for advantage Ian Hill Russia is once more on no-one’s side but its own.
17 Jun 2025 Trump's State Department purge cuts deeper than in his first presidency Lanni Hamblin , Melissa Conley Tyler Reducing America’s global diplomatic presence to pre-Second World War levels will only lead to declining influence.
17 Jun 2025 Brave new interior world: The rise of self-enhancing states Roderick Parkes Power is shifting inward, not outward, with control and influence the currency of choice.
16 Jun 2025 Explaining Australia’s enduring faith in democracy even as the world backslides Lydia Khalil Tech disruption and US concerns haven’t dampened Australian enthusiasm for democratic institutions.
16 Jun 2025 Australia’s military benefits beyond war – the career challenge David Vallance How to sell young people on defence force service when shared values under the US alliance appear increasingly questionable.
16 Jun 2025 Putting the “Indo” in Indo-Pacific, Australia’s westward pivot Rushali Saha Embassy openings and patrol boat gifts signal Canberra's recognition that Indian Ocean influence requires active engagement.
16 Jun 2025 How should politicians “read” the 2025 Lowy Institute Poll? Sam Roggeveen Representative democracy requires politicians to weigh the public mood against their own judgment on complex policy questions.
13 Jun 2025 Tigray can’t afford another war, and the world can’t afford to do nothing Sheridan Ward Australia should encourage international condemnation after a blockade of relief trucks in the northern regions of Ethiopia.
13 Jun 2025 China’s cartographic claims test fragile India rapprochement Ramita Iyer Despite four years of negotiations and recent agreements, territorial assertions continue to strain ties between the two powers.
13 Jun 2025 The upside of the world’s downgrade in foreign aid Osmond Chiu , Danae Bosler Australia has an opportunity to fill the gap left by the US and Europe – and it’s good for democracy, too.
12 Jun 2025 In remembering China’s Cultural Revolution, what you don’t know will hurt you Linda Jaivin Forgetting the trauma of Mao’s chaotic decade serves Xi’s stability agenda, but personal experience shapes his authoritarian methods.
12 Jun 2025 Australia-PNG relations at 50: Pride, politics and the price of partnership Mihai Sora What if more locals decide that Australia is rewarding bad behaviour at the top of PNG’s politics?
12 Jun 2025 China banks big wins as Trump withdraws from global aid game Robert Wihtol By abandoning climate finance and health initiatives, the United States is creating unprecedented opportunities for Chinese-led multilateral banks.
11 Jun 2025 Australia’s royal dilemma as King Charles serves conflicting Commonwealth interests with Trump Hugh Piper If Australians found their sovereignty threatened, would people want an unelected septuagenarian Englishman representing their interests as head of state?
11 Jun 2025 Taiwan’s Africa gambit Joseph Black In a world where power is defined by networks rather than borders, Taipei’s quiet diplomacy is making headway.
11 Jun 2025 With the G20 summit looming, South Africa wants Trump at the table Isel Ras Ramaphosa is making a risky bet in a bid to progress an economic and development agenda the US President doesn’t believe in.
10 Jun 2025 Beijing’s green mirage: How China drives environmental destruction abroad while claiming climate leadership at home Mohd. Yunus Massive commodity imports drive deforestation in Brazil and Indonesia even as domestic policies win international praise.
10 Jun 2025 The logic of neutrality in the Indo-Pacific Vincent So Regional governments use deliberate ambiguity to extract benefits from both United States and China while avoiding costly commitments to either.
10 Jun 2025 Before social media, there was shortwave: Lessons from the original information wars Abhijnan Rej There is nothing new in weaponising airwaves to shape hearts and minds across borders.
10 Jun 2025 What lies beneath: Trump and the security of subsea cables April A. Herlevi To access the riches under the sea, the new US administration seeks dominance.
6 Jun 2025 Australia’s rental crisis at home also cost its reputation abroad Sohail Akhtar Migrants drawn by Australia’s inclusive image encounter discriminatory rental practices that damage the nation’s soft power.
6 Jun 2025 With friends like these… Mark Pierce In geopolitics, are the benefits of allies overrated?
6 Jun 2025 A scorecard for Australian aid Grace Stanhope The measures of success with an OECD peer review about to get underway.
6 Jun 2025 What the US could lose by closing its universities to China Pete Millwood A chance to influence America’s most important competitor for one thing – but that’s only the start.
5 Jun 2025 The transactional worldview of South Korea’s new president Chae Jeong Lee Jae-myung’s pragmatic approach will test alliance limits with America and bring a more ambiguous stance toward China.
5 Jun 2025 France seeks third way between US and China in Southeast Asia Céline Pajon The French leader sent a message of partnership but gave few concrete details on sustained engagement plans.
5 Jun 2025 Ukraine’s cheap robot drones extract a heavy price from Russia David Kirichenko By pioneering tomorrow’s battlefield tactics, Kyiv is rewriting military doctrine and setting the template for future wars.
5 Jun 2025 The battle Royal over the Dollar: What a currency means to the nation Daniel Flitton The US dollar is under pressure. Australia could go it alone, at least in name.
4 Jun 2025 How Papua New Guinea is rewriting Pacific education partnerships with China and more Bernard Yegiora District-led programs are driving a new demand for technical degrees and signalling a new agency in foreign relations.
4 Jun 2025 Global trade: Why China can’t (and won’t) come to the rescue Henry Storey Those looking for relief from US tariffs will run up against China’s mercantilism and structurally weak demand.
4 Jun 2025 India’s concern could reshape Australia's Pakistan defence ties Kim Heriot-Darragh It’s a good time for Canberra to reassess military cooperation with Islamabad given limited influence and competing Indo-Pacific priorities.
4 Jun 2025 Keeping up with the Dutertes, a model Philippine political dynasty Andrea Chloe Wong The preservation of power within families makes for an unhealthy democracy.
3 Jun 2025 Five years is a long time in Australia-India relations, but there is still more to do Ian Hall , Lisa Singh A stocktake of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
3 Jun 2025 The case against ramping up Australia’s defence spending Sam Roggeveen It’s not about the money, it’s about strategy.
3 Jun 2025 The tariff war that’s accelerating Asia’s trade transformation Vu Lam As the deadline for suspension looms, regional economies are looking to patch the vulnerabilities of regional economic architecture.
3 Jun 2025 No jacket required? Power dressing in world politics Clare Caldwell From kurtas to the three-piece suit, what world leaders wear speaks volumes.
3 Jun 2025 The real message Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto delivered to China’s Li Qiang Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat , Yeta Purnama Jakarta wants to find its own value from superpower competition without picking a winner.