Skip to main content
The Interpreter

Interpreter - Menu Links

  • Articles
  • Debates
  • Contributors
  • About

Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 3 Mar 2025
    • Aid & Development
    • Pacific Islands
    • Development Assistance
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Development Assistance
    • China and the Pacific

    Is this the end of aid as we know it?

    Soli Middleby
    The task for Western aid is not to rebuild what existed before, but to reduce dependency altogether.
  • 10 Dec 2024
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • Nauru

    New treaty ties Nauru to Australia via banks, security and telecommunications

    Jessica Collins
    But the “permanent state of contest” in the Pacific appears set to continue.
  • 29 Nov 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Global Economy
    • Pacific Islands

    Australia’s banking on the Pacific

    Jessica Collins
    Making money in the region is not easy. But links to international finance are essential.
  • 12 Sep 2024
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australia's Economy
    • Pacific Islands

    The real risks of exploitation for Pacific workers in Australia

    Sophia Kagan
    While neither blackbirding nor systemic modern slavery, the PALM scheme has many loopholes that should be addressed.
  • 21 Aug 2024
    • Asia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Development Assistance
    • Australian Foreign Aid
    • Foreign Policy
    • Pacific Islands

    Australia takes a big first step to engage civil society in foreign policy

    Heather Wrathall , Jasmine Stephens
    With a new multi-million dollar fund, Canberra underscores the importance of robust and transparent democracy.
  • 8 Aug 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Global Economy
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific
    • Nauru
    • Solomon Islands
    • Tonga
    • Tuvalu
    • Vanuatu

    Economic diplomacy: Banking on the Pacific

    Greg Earl
    Rebuilding regional banking is unlikely to pay dividends without an underlying business revival.
  • 3 May 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • Solomon Islands

    Can Solomon Islands’ new prime minister really be friends to all?

    Mihai Sora
    The success of the PM’s premiership will depend on his approach to pressing domestic problems as much as issues of national sovereignty.
  • 15 Apr 2024
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Nauru

    Western banks are vacating the Pacific, and Nauru is turning to China

    Jessica Collins
    Financial risks are causing Western banks to flee the region, leaving a void for China to fill.
  • 11 Apr 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific
    • Fiji
    • Nauru
    • New Zealand
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands
    • Tonga
    • Tuvalu
    • Vanuatu

    Pacific Engagement Visas: New developments but quotas unknown

    Natasha Turia , Akka Rimon
    Australia’s highly competitive new visa lottery has much leg work to do to make fair allocations between countries.
  • 11 Apr 2024
    • Australia in the World
    • Australia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Diplomacy
    • Australian Perspective
    • Foreign Policy

    The Translator: “Like-minded countries”

    Melissa Conley Tyler , Megan Vu
    A new series in which experts explain the sometimes baffling jargon of international affairs.
  • 10 Apr 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific
    • Fiji
    • New Zealand
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands

    Solomon Islands: Democracy on the ballot

    Meg Keen , Oliver Nobetau
    Next week, voters will determine not only political leadership but the future of democratic processes.
  • 22 Mar 2024
    • China
    • Australia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia and Climate Change
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • BRICS
    • Climate change
    • Multilateral Institutions
    • Sustainability

    Green transition: Supercharging a sustainable future for the Asia‑Pacific

    Christoph Nedopil
    An ambitious path of competition and collaboration with China would ensure the region’s economic non-dependence.
  • 15 Mar 2024
    • Australia
    • Australia and Climate Change
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australia's Army
    • Australia's Defence Challenges
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific
    • Fiji
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Vanuatu

    A “climate defence force” for the Pacific

    Thomas Lonergan
    By harnessing human, environmental and resource security, Canberra can counter Beijing’s coercive tactics in the region.
  • 8 Mar 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • Fiji
    • Nauru
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands
    • Tonga
    • Tuvalu
    • Sex and Gender

    State of play for Pacific women in 2024

    Jessica Collins
    When the playing field is levelled, the dividends are doubled, both in politics and sport.
  • 23 Feb 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific

    The bigger political game in the Pacific

    Meg Keen , Alan Tidwell
    It’s true there are many actors and issues unfolding in the region, but Australia, the United States and China play a central role in driving aid and strategic competition.
  • 15 Feb 2024
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea

    The state of play in PNG: A momentous start to 2024

    Oliver Nobetau
    Domestic deals and political spills threaten to overshadow economic progress in the land of the unexpected.
  • 15 Dec 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Development Assistance
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands

    Gains, pains, and dubious claims from the Pacific Labour Mobility Survey

    Matt Withers
    The large-scale survey produced limited data on complex issues and is no substitute for culturally appropriate social research.
  • 31 Oct 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Development Assistance
    • Australian Foreign Aid
    • Debt
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific

    Infrastructure for influence: Pacific Islands building spree

    Meg Keen
    Even with stabilising debt and higher revenues, the region’s needs still outpace funding. Partnerships are key.
  • 31 Oct 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific

    Pacific aid enters a new era

    Alexandre Dayant
    The latest Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map demonstrates that there is no going back to the way things were.
  • 17 Oct 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Technology
    • Pacific Islands
    • Sex and Gender

    Empowering women in the Pacific: A collaborative effort to confront online abuse

    Julie Inman Grant
    A regional symposium was an important step in tackling technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
  • 29 Sep 2023
    • Japan
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific
    • Fiji
    • Nauru
    • New Zealand
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands
    • Tonga
    • Vanuatu

    Japan risks its reputation in Oceania with Fukushima discharge

    Derek Grossman
    A rollcall of Pacific Island nations have very different views on the release of treated radioactive wastewater.
  • 14 Aug 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands

    What does the new International Development Policy mean for the Pacific?

    Jessica Collins , Meg Keen
    Australia has outlined its case for being the preferred regional partner, but the Pacific needs less talk and more action.
  • 18 Jul 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • China and the Pacific
    • Solomon Islands

    A Pacific power play could prove the Quad’s relevance

    Edward Cavanough
    Off-grid households across the region are desperate for electricity that doesn’t come with (China's) strings attached.
  • 23 Jun 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands

    Bracing for 3000 Pacific Engagement Visas

    Natasha Turia , Akka Rimon , Michael Kabuni , Jope Tarai
    Australia’s new permanent resident scheme must prioritise the people of the Blue Pacific who will be most impacted.
  • 8 Jun 2023
    • China
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Papua New Guinea

    PNG’s trade ties with China are set to strengthen

    Maholopa Laveil
    Canberra has committed to bolstering agriculture assistance, but free trade agreements may leave Australia in second place.
  • 7 Mar 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • China and the Pacific
    • Papua New Guinea

    PNG voices: regional partnerships must be based on respect

    Andrea Connor , Maholopa Laveil , Leonie Baptiste , Londari Yamarak , Hannah Sarvasy
    Righting perceptions of an asymmetric relationship between PNG and Australia comes down to listening.
  • 27 Feb 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea

    Answers needed on the Pacific Engagement Visa

    Akka Rimon , Michael Kabuni , Jope Tarai , Natasha Turia
    Beyond practicalities, it’s unclear whether this is a genuine “Pacific family” partnership or geopolitical convenience?
  • 24 Feb 2023
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australia's Defence Challenges
    • Australia-United States Relations
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Australian Navy
    • Australia–New Zealand
    • China-Australia Relations
    • New Zealand

    The Australia-New Zealand alliance in a war with China

    Robert Ayson
    The potential for conflict in the region should have Canberra and Wellington thinking about shared strategic risks.
  • 25 Jan 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • China – Belt and Road Initiative
    • Development Assistance
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Foreign Aid
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands

    Chinese aid to the Pacific: decreasing, but not disappearing

    Alexandre Dayant , Meg Keen , Roland Rajah
    With fewer Chinese finances available and less demand from Pacific countries, geopolitical competition is opening up.
  • 19 Jan 2023
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Pacific Islands
    • China and the Pacific
    • Solomon Islands

    Weaving webs of statecraft in the Pacific Islands

    Joanne Wallis , Henrietta McNeill , Alan C. Tidwell , Czeslaw Tubilewicz
    Gaining influence in the region is about tools and techniques, not just the actors.
  • 28 Nov 2022
    • Australia in the World
    • Australia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Diplomacy
    • Diplomacy
    • Foreign Policy

    Confident, competent, inconsistent: Australia’s strategic personality

    Ian Hall
    Canberra’s report card receives a solid “pleasing result” on Southeast Asia, but a “could do better” on the Pacific.
  • 11 Oct 2022
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australian Development Assistance
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea
    • United States

    The Global Fragility Act in PNG: can the US succeed?

    Jessica Collins
    A seemingly radical approach that relies on prevention and relinquishing control may be a foreign policy game-changer.
  • 4 Oct 2022
    • Aid & Development
    • Development Assistance
    • Asia
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Multilateral Development Banks

    Building a better development finance institution: Australia’s opportunity

    Jessica Mackenzie , Alberto Lemma
    Canberra can learn a lot about risk appetite and the culture of financing from those already in the space.
  • 27 Jun 2022
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Melanesia
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands
    • Vanuatu

    Pacific labour mobility and the existential threat of climate change

    Peter Hooton
    Australia needs to walk the walk on emissions, migration targets and resettlements to make itself a good neighbour.
  • 27 May 2022
    • Pacific Islands
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific

    Labor’s Pacific plan: ticking the economic box

    Jessica Collins
    Tightening up on fees charged for remittances will ensure millions of dollars get to households across the region.
  • 26 Apr 2022
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Solomon Islands

    Fixing Australia’s failing Pacific Step-up strategy

    Peter Layton
    Supporting domestic interest groups in the region will bring success, and should be high on Canberra’s “to do” list.
  • 24 Mar 2022
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Climate change

    Climate change in the Pacific – what Australia needs to do

    Peter Hooton
    Canberra’s insipid approach to climate action undermines trust and endangers vital interests close to home.  
  • 17 Feb 2022
    • Australia and the Pacific

    The Pacific Islands become collateral damage on drug superhighway

    Jose Sousa-Santos
    Australia and New Zealand must address the fallout from an appetite for illicit drugs. The Pacific is relying on it.
  • 15 Oct 2021
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • France

    France-Australia: Welcome back, Your Excellency, urgent matters await

    Alexandre Dayant
    AUKUS was a blow to Australia’s French romance but the Pacific region needs the two regional powers to kiss and make up.
  • 7 Oct 2021
    • Melanesia
    • Australian Development Assistance
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Fiji
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands
    • Vanuatu

    Pacific Step-Up needs a Covid-era reboot

    Edward Cavanough
    Australia must bolster its vaccine assistance with practical fixes, starting with energy and cold-storage solutions.
  • 24 Sep 2021
    • Australian Diplomacy
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • France

    AUKUS: France’s strategic outcry

    Eglantine Staunton
    After the drama of recalled ambassadors in the wake of a new Indo-Pacific strategic deal, it’s time for dialogue.
  • 23 Sep 2021
    • Asia and Pacific
    • Australia's Trade
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Australia-United States Relations
    • China

    Economic diplomacy: After AUKUS in trade, aid and technology

    Greg Earl
    Commercial links may be China’s response to the submarine deal.
  • 11 Aug 2021
    • Pacific Islands
    • Australia and the Pacific

    Pacific needs partnership, not just leadership

    James Batley
    Richard Marles on a multidimensional regional challenge, from aid and migration to climate change and strategic denial.
  • 15 Jul 2021
    • WTO
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Migration

    Economic diplomacy: Little Australia spends slowly in the Pacific

    Greg Earl
    Can a step-up speed up? And what of the economic and cultural benefits of migration in Covid times?
  • 2 Jul 2021
    • Diplomacy
    • Australian Development Assistance
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Sex and Gender

    Forgiveness not permission: A feminist foreign policy

    Alice Ridge , Joanna Pradela
    If Australia wants to adopt a values-based approach to the world, the next step is obvious.
  • 21 Jun 2021
    • Defence & Security
    • Pacific Islands
    • Australia and the Pacific

    The risks of escalating strategic competition in the Pacific Islands

    Joanne Wallis
    Becoming tangled in power politics can create divisions between – as well as within – nations across the region.
  • 20 Apr 2021
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Papua New Guinea

    Accountability is the path to better governance in PNG

    Justice Gua
    A more inclusive environment and more responsive public-service initiatives will lessen the citizen-state divide.
  • 26 Mar 2021
    • Pacific Islands
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Technology

    Facebook’s monopoly danger in the Pacific

    Amanda Watson , Jemima Garrett
    The social media giant’s move to “unfriend” Australia highlighted complex threats to information security in the region.
  • 1 Dec 2020
    • Pacific Islands
    • Australian Foreign Aid
    • Australia
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • United Kingdom

    The UK’s unwelcome foreign aid cut

    Philip Citowicki
    Amid a pandemic and shifting geopolitics, the aid budget was a victim of its own size – and domestic pressures.
  • 24 Nov 2020
    • Australia and the Pacific
    • Papua New Guinea

    PNG budget: Pluses and minuses

    Maholopa Laveil , Dek Joe Sum
    A spending surge aims to steer the economy out of crisis, but high debt and heavy interest pose another risk.
Pagination
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Next page ››

Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and around the world.

Register

The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute.

© Copyright 2025 Lowy Institute

  • Debates
  • Contributors
  • Articles
  • About
  • Terms of Use
  • Log In
  • My bookmarks