10 Nov 2022
Battle for Chagos
A dispute over sovereignty in the Indian Ocean tracks Britain’s dwindling empire and the path of international law.
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2 Nov 2022
Can the UK stop the boats?
Attempting to mimic the Australian model ignores the striking differences that confront post-Brexit Britain. -
12 Oct 2022
Liz Truss and foreign policy: expect the unexpected
The new PM may see global affairs as welcome theatre to demonstrate leadership and distract from domestic pressure. -
12 Sep 2022
History, one tribute at a time
Reactions to the Queen’s death reflect our complex attitudes to the United Kingdom. -
27 Jul 2022
France can help Albanese fix AUKUS
Labor faces a dilemma over nuclear-powered subs and the non-proliferation regime. An old partner might offer an answer. -
26 Jul 2022
Answering China’s South China Sea flying safety challenge
A regional response can best manage risks, and the Five Power Defence Arrangement offers just the mechanism. -
17 Jun 2022
The British Indian Ocean Territory and the rules-based order
In claiming sovereignty over Chagos, London privileges Western interests. And breaks international law. -
9 May 2022
The time is right for Australia to forge stronger ties with Europe
A new world has created new opportunities in energy, security and diplomacy that Canberra should grab without delay. -
8 Apr 2022
Britain in Southeast Asia: How to keep old friends newly engaged
Are there too many Indo-Pacific inputs right now from various European actors, individually and collectively? -
4 Apr 2022
AUKUS can be a good platform for cooperation with India
And it wouldn’t be the first time the partners had worked together, either. -
14 Feb 2022
The curious case of Blenheim Reef
A coral reef in the middle of the Indian Ocean, owned by no-one, is fast becoming a focus of international controversy. -
9 Feb 2022
Mauritius sets sail to Chagos
The UK faces a lose-lose situation as demonstrators put disputed Indian Ocean archipelago in the spotlight. -
25 Jan 2022
AUKMIN shows the UK is a world away from Australia
London’s global focus on malign authoritarian actors makes clear thinking and prioritisation impossible. -
24 Jan 2022
The D10 is dead, long live the … Network of Liberty?
Not explicitly focussing on a grouping of democracies is smart and includes more countries engaged in pushback on China. -
29 Dec 2021
An AUKUS surprise – Best of The Interpreter 2021
An extraordinary decision put Australia at the centre of regional defence debates. -
22 Dec 2021
India remains divided about AUKUS
Something about the new Australia, UK and US deal suggests it could detract from the value and usefulness of the Quad. -
14 Dec 2021
From Brentford to the world: The Interpreter’s 2021 favourites
Watching his hometown team take on the English Premier League after a seven-decade hiatus was worth the wait. -
14 Dec 2021
Why isn’t Australia putting diplomacy first?
Canberra is out of step with its key allies with one of the most potent tools its international arsenal. -
8 Nov 2021
Indonesia-Australia: Deeper divide lies beneath AUKUS submarine rift
Indonesia is committed to “standing in the middle” between the United States and China and using ASEAN as a buffer. -
28 Oct 2021
Britain and Australia aren’t actually treaty allies – they should be
Only a formal deal will lock in the gains under AUKUS against future uncertainty. -
21 Oct 2021
Queen Elizabeth II: For Country and Commonwealth
From the Suez crisis to dicing with dictators – a steady reign spanning seven decades of constant global change. -
14 Oct 2021
AUKUS: Why Beijing didn’t go ballistic
China’s reaction was in words not deeds. Another high-profile case may have influenced its attitude. -
5 Oct 2021
In defence of AUKUS
This is not only about nuclear-powered submarines; it is about a strengthened US commitment to Australia. -
21 Sep 2021
AUKUS and the CPTPP: It’s all about China
Security deterrence is only one factor in the new and fast-moving geostrategic environment of the Indo-Pacific. -
20 Sep 2021
When you’re in a hole, stop digging: Australia and the nuke sub deal
By the time Canberra’s subs roll off the dock, their capabilities will be obsolete, and there are bigger threats, too. -
16 Sep 2021
How nuclear subs could transform Australia, its alliance and Asia
First thoughts on the consequences of a truly momentous decision. -
2 Sep 2021
Europe and the South China Sea
More warships in disputed waters may cause instability. But the presence of navies from afar sends a clear message, too. -
17 Aug 2021
UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt – not just for the good times
Britain’s renewed enthusiasm in Southeast Asia means, among other tasks, negotiating the idiosyncrasies of ASEAN. -
2 Jul 2021
Playing catch-up: Britain’s re-engagement with Southeast Asia
UK Foreign Secretary manages a mid-pandemic whistle-stop tour of Asian nations in a bid to promote “Global Britain”. -
24 Jun 2021
Australia sweeps the table in the UK trade deal
Tariff elimination on this scale through a free trade agreement is almost unprecedented. -
21 Jun 2021
Believing Biden
The US President has persuaded European allies of his values-based policy. But will such faith carry home? -
17 Jun 2021
Economic diplomacy: Trade deals for a fast-growing family
New ties with Britain to “right a historic wrong” but visa schemes for regional workers could generate another headache. -
17 May 2021
London and Hong Kong: Financial centres in parallel peril
Once mighty, two beacons of the modern global economy are shrouded by political clouds. -
25 Feb 2021
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Ensuring a consistent approach to the “rules” would make it that much harder for China to break them. -
15 Feb 2021
The power of example: America’s presence in Diego Garcia
US claims to upholding the rules-based order don’t square with its silence on Mauritian sovereignty in the Chagos. -
12 Feb 2021
Scottish independence and the implications for British defence
Breaking away from the UK would bring up some thorny issues – like what to do with nukes. -
21 Jan 2021
The Diego Garcia dispute hits cyberspace
As internet domains go, .io is a money spinner. Would a change to the “British Indian Ocean Territory” cancel an asset? -
14 Jan 2021
A very British crisis
The ineptitude of the UK’s Covid response is on full display the moment you arrive in the country. -
23 Dec 2020
She won’t be right with “Australian-style” Brexit
If a no-deal option with the EU is so enviable, why is Australia cutting a deal right now? -
17 Dec 2020
A missed opportunity for the International Criminal Court
In declining to investigate possible UK war crimes in Iraq, the ICC has dealt a blow to victims and its own reputation. -
1 Dec 2020
The UK’s unwelcome foreign aid cut
Amid a pandemic and shifting geopolitics, the aid budget was a victim of its own size – and domestic pressures. -
15 Sep 2020
The “Australian solution” won’t fix Johnson’s Europe problem
Geography, reality and personality collide to undercut the British Prime Minister’s fantasy. -
8 Sep 2020
Islamic State’s new battleground – the courts
Two crucial cases at opposite ends of the earth will determine a government’s right to revoke citizenship of terrorists. -
27 Jul 2020
Five Eyes: Blurring the lines between intelligence and policy
Intelligence sharing is one thing. Aligning policy with the same brand risks making too exclusive a grouping. -
15 Jul 2020
Decolonise Diego Garcia: Why America should not fear Mauritius
Only a deal with Port Louis can put the future of the US base beyond question and preserve a crucial staging post. -
26 Jun 2020
Finding compromise in the Chagos Islands saga
The US base on Diego Garcia needn’t be an obstacle to a negotiated settlement of a longstanding sovereignty dispute. -
22 Jun 2020
Australia-UK trade agreement: Good, boring policy
A deal between two liberalised economies on opposite sides of the globe can only improve a small number of pain points. -
14 May 2020
Muddled messages as Britain seeks to stay alert
Confusion reigned as Covid-19 lockdown eased, complex guidance raising fears Boris Johnson had made another mistake. -
22 Apr 2020
Scotland: False note to cry freedom
Lockdown may have put independence talk into hibernation, yet not forever. Destroying Britain would be great for no one. -
7 Feb 2020
Brexit and the Pacific: Sink or swim?
Growing UK presence in the Pacific Islands aims to boost prosperity, but a range of factors could tip the balance.