Why Trump’s Middle East trip matters to Australia
Regardless of whether Australian forces are enlisted in any anti-Iran campaign, there is a risk that our troops, aircraft or ships in the Middle East may find themselves targeted in any Iranian retaliation.Capital flows to emerging economies: Still unresolved
Perhaps practical policy-makers might be tempted to cut the Gordian knot by imposing capital controls, especially for short-term volatile capital inflows (leaving characteristically-stable foreign direct investment untouched).The birth of a multipolar Asia?
Xi Jinping’s 'Asia for Asians' slogan may ultimately come to fruition.Iranian politics nothing if not opaque
One should also be wary of using the result to forecast Iranian policy direction given the circumscribed powers of the president.Belt and Road will go ahead with or without Australia
Australia can attempt to define its engagement with the initiative while it is still early days, or it can stick to playing by rules written by others.Can the US capitalise on the quiet realignment between Israel and the Gulf States?
It remains to be seen whether this new phase of ties between the Gulf states and Israel can expand beyond the informal and the unofficial level.Iranians vote to continue on the path of engagement
This vote for Rouhani sends a clear message to the Supreme Leader’s office that Iranians want economic prosperity brought about by peaceful re-engagement.Weekend catch-up: Comey, Belt and Road, Iranian elections and more
The Belt and Road Forum, what to make of Trump and Russia, a new refugee programme, and more.Belt and Road in Southeast Asia: Beyond the fanfare
Recent infrastructure developments in the Philippines and Malaysia suggest our Belt and Road expectations should be reined in.For Trump, the Watergate analogies run deep
By taking on the FBI, Trump looks like repeating Nixon’s Watergate actions in ways that should truly alarm him – and hearten his opponents.Trump’s Middle East tour: Status quo reset
In the unprecedented chaos that is the Trump presidency, the apparent swing back towards Saudi Arabia seems abnormally normal.Cyber influence links: Identifying Erdogan’s bodyguards, Arctic selfies, attention hacking and more
The Chinese Government took its digital diplomacy to a new level this month in order to promote One Belt One Road.Migration and border policy links: Theresa May’s policy promises, private sponsorship, the global slave trade and more
This week's links include private sponsorship plans in Australia, the increased rate of US federal immigration arrests, immigration in the UK election, and concerns about a growing slave trade.Economic diplomacy brief: Summit budgets and mixed messages from Australia’s foreign investment
It’s easy to overlook an event that perhaps offers Turnbull his best shot at his own regional legacy this term – the summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Sydney next March.Erdogan leaves Trump empty-handed
Erdogan was forced to concede on almost everything, even withstanding Trump’s repeated mispronunciation of his name during the press conference.How China snubbed Singapore at the Belt and Road summit
The snub demonstrates Beijing now has another diplomatic tool in its arsenal.Trump and the Russians: Why the ‘leak of the leak’ is so damaging
Most of the most serious consequences have occurred not because of Trump’s actions. But as a result of leaks from within the US intelligence community and the White House.China's ‘House of Cards’ reveals a few home truths
The drama reflects one of China's truths: it relies on the moral compasses of Party bureaucrats to fight corruption rather than a robust legal system.Pacific links: Manus Island asylum seekers told to move on, the rubbish-filled Henderson Island, PNG's informal economy and more
Demolition work will soon begin at the Manus Island detention centre while an economist urges PNG's politicians to consider the informal economy in the run up to the election.
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