China eyes its next prize – the Mekong
After the South China Sea, Beijing’s “salami slicing” strategy is moving along Southeast Asia’s longest river.
New Caledonia: dangerous games
Some local leaders are putting short-term political gain ahead of constructive participation in a referendum process.
When is monetary policy neutral?
Determining the neutral rate can determine how much stimulus an economy requires, and important policy implications follow if present low estimates are correct.
Japan-Russia: Abe’s brutal truth
After nearly two dozen bilateral meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Japan’s Shinzo Abe still cannot show meaningful progress on a territorial dispute between the two nations.
Mindful Mattis did just fine at the Shangri-La Dialogue
The US Secretary of Defense fleshed out the Trump administration’s “free and open Indo-Pacific” strategy with aplomb.
Modi plays by the “rules” at Shangri-La
The Indian Prime Minister intended to reassure, and hinted only obliquely at some of the challenges confronting India and the region.
A study in controversy: Chinese students in Australia
A love of country is not always synonymous with an endorsement of the government when speaking with Chinese students in Australia.
Weekend catch-up: Singaporean politics, Wenchuan earthquake, and an Antarctic runway
The week that was on The Interpreter.
Rohingya: UN takes a cautious step forward in Myanmar
Myanmar may hope to relieve international pressure over the Rohingya refugees, but a new arrangement with the UN could also lead to greater transparency in northern Rakhine State.
Has the PLA really overlooked its amphibious force?
Taiwan would be well advised to improve its defences and make itself a tough nut to crack.
Singapore summit: the case for guarded optimism
The US and North Korea are far apart, but look beneath the surface and there is a chance for agreement.
India: guiltless children in prison
More than 1800 children languish in Indian jails with their imprisoned mothers, often as a consequence of bureaucratic incompetence.
Change in Malaysia, awkward questions for Singapore
Singapore, a country that has also been ruled by the same party since independence, is watching as its close neighbour strikes out on a new path.
Student politics: Indonesians confront China prejudice
Allegations of communist indoctrination of Indonesian students in China again shows the country’s struggle to reconcile tropes of the past.
A stocktake of Australia’s China policy debate
The relationship is getting harder to manage, but this difficulty is not an inherently bad thing.
South China Sea: Paracels in the spotlight
While Vietnam would welcome American warships sailing near the disputed islands, other Southeast Asian counties would be concerned about escalating militarisation.
Beyond the “Chinese debt trap”
Small states are hardly just vulnerable victims, but often leverage their geopolitical importance to gain tremendous bargaining power.
Pacific links: Fiji sedition trial, Belt and Road in PNG, and more
Links and updates from across the Pacific islands.
Taiwan: Tsai Ing-wen at the halfway mark
The security threat from China grows by the day, but domestic policies increasingly shape how voters see Taiwan’s president.
China’s looming financial crisis
Reintroducing one-man rule in China is not only creating political tensions, but also leading to bad macroeconomic policy – and Australia should prepare for the consequences.
Aid links: cricket in India, “edutainment” in Nigeria, and more
Links and stories from the aid and development sector.
Japan’s plans to build a “Free and Open” Indian Ocean
Australia needs to cooperate with Japan, in addition to China, on open and sustainable projects across the Indo-Pacific.
Keeping track of trade distortions
Publishing changes in commodities trade could lessen damage to third countries in the US–China conflict.
Building a paved runway in Antarctica
More detailed scrutiny of the potential environmental cost will need to occur before plans for a runway in Australian Antarctic Territory are realised.
The Wenchuan earthquake, ten years on
The 2008 disaster was a marker of China’s sudden illiberal turn and an early sign of Xi Jinping’s attitudes.
Cambodia: to vote or not to vote?
The Cambodian people are being asked to boycott the election. To do so would be a mistake.
Australia can help Indonesia kick the habit
Tobacco use is cruelling Indonesia’s potential, and anti-smoking education should be a priority for Australian aid.
Terror suspects’ riot in Jakarta underscores prison problems
Greater coordination and information sharing is required for deradicalisation efforts to be effective.
Weekend catch-up: Chinese demography, the far side of the Moon, Ebola returns
The week that was on The Interpreter.
Sedition and Pacific media freedom
Amid recent budget cuts, a positive court ruling is a welcome step towards improved media reporting.
Ireland’s abortion referendum
A divisive campaign not only challenges Ireland’s place in the world but also exposes the vulnerability of elections to foreign interference.
Summit cancelled: advantage Pyongyang
US credibility has taken a significant hit, with broader impacts for Washington’s relationships in Northeast Asia.
Xinjiang’s “transformation through education” camps
The history of Chinese policy in Xinjiang shows the Communist Party has never been averse to repression of ethnic minority opposition and dissent.
Economic diplomacy brief: China relations, debt time bomb, and new rivalries
Greg Earl with economic news from across the region.
Operation Coldstore: Singapore’s struggle to confront history
A gruelling parliamentary hearing has opened a debate on a largely forgotten official crackdown in the Asian city state.
The tide is turning against US financial regulation
The lessons of the 2008 banking failures look like they have already been forgotten – or erased.
A “delicious” visit
Emmanuel Macron’s trip to the Pacific is a reminder of French maritime power, yet be cautious about the idea of France balancing China.
Will China finally end its one-child policy?
There’s a common saying in China: we’ll get old before we get rich.
Shinzo Abe “outside the net”
Japan’s Prime Minister is scrambling to reassert relevance while local media is searching for metaphors.
Immigration links: Cox’s Bazaar monsoon, Kakuma entrepreneurship, more
Links and updates from across the migration and border policy field.
Why China isn’t planning to storm Taiwan’s beaches
China’s navy has grown dramatically, but not its amphibious forces.
Broad strokes: Indonesian art and 20 years of Reformasi
Yogyakarta-based artist Eko Nugroho fears self-censorship is again growing in Indonesia’s otherwise flourishing art scene.
The prospect of North Korea’s economic reform
Declarations of reform mean decentralisation, and may not be sincere.
Ebola strikes again
The swift reaction to this latest deadly outbreak must be matched by the wider international community.
Challenges mount up
Unsolved political issues in the Middle East leave barren soil for economic and social green shoots.
A lesser Australia
If left unchecked, a decline in Australia’s influence will continue quite rapidly over the coming decade.
US naval accidents revisited
Collisions attributed to poor on-board standards have damaged the US Navy’s credibility.
Missed opportunities in the internationalised university
The majority of Chinese students leave Australia’s universities disappointed with the social experience.