16 May 2022
Diplomacy is indispensable to manage the Mekong
The goal of a healthy river won’t be helped by misreading the shared mission of the Mekong River Commission.
-
-
-
13 May 2022
What a Marcos Jr presidency in the Philippines means for geopolitics
A policy-free campaign in Asia’s oldest democracy results in a guessing game in the region for where next. -
13 May 2022
China and the West: It’s about understanding each other
The former Australian prime minister offers indispensable insights into how to go back to relationship basics. -
12 May 2022
A flash in the pan? Indonesia’s palm oil export ban
Apparent domestic shortages appear more a case of a government stand-off with industry over pricing. -
12 May 2022
Bell teals for big parties in Australia’s election
The traditional two-party political cycle is being disrupted by the rise of independent candidates from right and left. -
11 May 2022
Resetting Australia’s relationship with the Pacific – three ideas
Listen, for a start. Getting down to granular, person-to-person engagement is needed for effective regional diplomacy. -
11 May 2022
The case for rejuvenating DFAT
Foreign ministries no longer monopolise a country’s global voice. But some practical fine tuning will enhance diplomacy. -
11 May 2022
Mapping Southeast Asian development assistance
A new measure of foreign aid impact in countries hit by Covid and infrastructure failure is set to fill the gap. -
10 May 2022
Where are the women? The challenge facing the next PNG parliament
A country ranking among the world’s lowest for political participation by women has enormous social bias to overcome. -
10 May 2022
Saudi Arabia and China: a blossoming friendship
Relations are cosy for now. But is Saudi Arabia hedging its bets between Beijing and Washington? -
10 May 2022
Chinese bases in the Pacific: A reality check
Frustrating Beijing’s ambitions to create a sphere of influence is overwhelmingly a diplomatic task, not a military one. -
9 May 2022
Turkey’s leverage over Russia – in Syria and beyond
Ankara and Moscow are in an unusual power play where the Kremlin turns a blind eye to actions that aid its adversaries. -
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. -
6 May 2022
Iran applies its own maximum pressure in nuclear talks
With negotiations seemingly deadlocked, the Biden administration’s hopes for a major foreign policy win appear dashed. -
6 May 2022
Understanding the rise of Trump – and how it might happen again
Fixing America’s broken electoral system means understanding how elites crafted self-serving rules and procedures. -
6 May 2022
Australia can stand up for the Afghan people, and the time is now
Canberra should signal to the world that we’re all better off in a community of nations where human dignity matters. -
5 May 2022
Economic diplomacy: Trade shifts challenge a new government
“Friendshoring” offers a half-way house between reshoring production and diversifying markets in a deglobalising world. -
5 May 2022
Scott Morrison wins. So where to next for Australia in the world?
A returned Coalition government faces immediate headaches (and opportunities) in its foreign policy. -
5 May 2022
Energy security: Embracing technological neutrality
Governments should set but not dictate energy standards. That includes allowing nuclear back on the negotiation table. -
4 May 2022
Death penalty: Singapore’s growing abolition movement
Public support for capital punishment isn’t as overwhelming and unshakeable as the government often portrays it to be. -
4 May 2022
Three takeaways from Timor‑Leste’s presidential election
And three questions about what’s next. -
4 May 2022
For North Korea, military parades come before the people’s wellbeing
There is no mask over the regime’s true intentions. -
3 May 2022
European neutrality is dying out
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has transformed future security policy arrangements to Russia’s detriment. -
3 May 2022
Shanghai lockdown prompts collective action
China’s citizens are finding increasingly creative ways to make their voices heard during the pandemic. -
3 May 2022
Imagining Labor’s first 100 days in foreign policy
It’s 22 May. And although Anthony Albanese is yet to get his feet under the desk, priorities are already piling up. -
2 May 2022
Solomon Islands-China security pact: A feminist foreign policy answer
For Australia to change the game in regional relations, it needs to grapple with new rules about systems of power. -
2 May 2022
Transnistria: The next front of the Ukraine war
Moscow is stirring tensions in a separatist region in neighbouring Moldova, but its moves may backfire. -
2 May 2022
Drones do the talking in Pakistan’s anti-terror offensive
Islamabad is tired of waiting for Afghanistan’s Taliban to control the TTP who have found safe haven across the border. -
29 Apr 2022
Musk’s Twitter: Tweet freedom for Asia?
The tech billionaire should brace for more than keyboard warriors in a world of authoritarianism and eroding democracy. -
29 Apr 2022
Putting Putin on trial to enforce a price for the powerful
Building a just international order must go beyond the interest of a few to foster a true test of global accountability. -
28 Apr 2022
Southeast Asia: Gender parity is not gender equality
Overcoming the root causes of the gender gap means tackling harmful stereotypes and biases, country by country. -
28 Apr 2022
What is at stake with new provinces in West Papua?
Jakarta’s plan to break West Papua into five provinces from the existing two leaves an even larger military footprint. -
27 Apr 2022
Timor-Leste: The new president needs to tune in
In the battle for leadership, an integral part of good governance has been overlooked: listening to the people. -
27 Apr 2022
When the tank’s empty: Australia’s impoverished energy security
Reliance on foreign oil and fuel-hungry cars puts the country in a vulnerable position, even when there’s no crisis. -
26 Apr 2022
Fixing Australia’s failing Pacific Step-up strategy
Supporting domestic interest groups in the region will bring success, and should be high on Canberra’s “to do” list. -
26 Apr 2022
Vietnam’s “Four No’s” of defence policy are being tested
The war in Ukraine has forced Hanoi into a delicate dance between Russia and the United States. -
25 Apr 2022
Not all maritime disputes are built the same
Resolving some of the South China Sea’s longest running issues needs a policy toolkit that is customised and diverse. -
25 Apr 2022
We’re taking a break
Our analysis and commentary on the latest international events returns after the public holiday. -
22 Apr 2022
Solomons: How Australia stacks up in a China aid bidding war
Lowy Institute’s Pacific Aid Map reveals the true scope of Australia’s development assistance to the region. -
22 Apr 2022
Even Putin is not beyond the law
International and domestic justice systems are working in the background to bring accountability in the war on Ukraine. -
22 Apr 2022
India-Russia: A friend in need
New Delhi’s reluctance to speak out on Ukraine is also influenced by own ambition in the disputed Kashmir region. -
22 Apr 2022
Does commemorating war really promote peace?
Contrary to popular belief, reminiscing on past sacrifices actually increases the perceived value of future combat. -
21 Apr 2022
Solomons security pact: Sogavare, China, and Australia
There is no shutting China out of the South Pacific, but if Australia gets real on climate the game will truly change. -
21 Apr 2022
Economic diplomacy: After Ukraine, the IMF ponders the future
A decoupling world will still need an old-style cooperative rescue service to repair the economic minefields. -
21 Apr 2022
Rallying around the flag: Domestic support for Putin is holding up
Russians doubt what they are told about the Ukraine conflict yet their view is still shaped by relentless propaganda. -
21 Apr 2022
A first for India and a chance to trade up with Australia
The new trade deal should be a stepping stone for the two countries to make their economic partnership comprehensive. -
20 Apr 2022
Russia-Ukraine: It always comes down to food
War in eastern Europe is devastating the supply of staple goods to distant regions that can least afford it. -
20 Apr 2022
Strategic divergence: Australia’s Southeast Asia challenge
Australia’s next government needs to find ways to relate to the region that don’t depend on geopolitical alignment. -
20 Apr 2022
The duty to prevent genocide in Ukraine
A serious risk of Russia committing genocide imposes legal obligations for states to do what they can to stop it.