10 May 2023
Pakistan’s gamble with Russian oil
Any deal will be hindered by US sanctions, refining challenges, transportation costs, and payment concerns.
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10 May 2023
Malaysia’s Anwar seeks Asian Monetary Fund and “dedollarisation”
By reviving an old idea, Malaysia’s PM hopes to be in the driver’s seat for regional economic leadership. -
10 May 2023
Biden’s quiet economic revolution
The guiding hand of the state is back as geopolitics rules. -
9 May 2023
DFAT: Show me the money
Reports of a boost to spending to Australia’s diplomatic machinery need to be judged against what has been cut before. -
9 May 2023
Hydro-hegemon? Complexities of shared rivers between China and India
Alarm about China building dams upstream of Brahmaputra River must be tempered by India’s own record on water-sharing. -
9 May 2023
Elections in Türkiye may herald a new foreign policy outlook
After 20 years as a dominating political force Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is facing his biggest fight in the upcoming polls. -
9 May 2023
“Play defence” in any collective response to China’s economic coercion
The cost of fighting back is unlikely to be spread evenly across any coalition, which risks undermining the effort. -
8 May 2023
Curiosity and openness: Allan Gyngell’s light touch in the early days at the Lowy Institute
Experiment and evolve was the message, and he did it by putting trust in the next generation of voices. -
8 May 2023
Lessons in sorrow: Serbia needs a gun buyback after mass shootings
Australia’s example has shown decisive action can galvanise and protect a community in the wake of tragedy. -
8 May 2023
Does Thailand’s election matter?
The election won’t be free and fair but it could be highly consequential for the country and the region. -
5 May 2023
Budget time: Will Labor rebuild Australia’s aid program, and how?
Global crisis and shifting economic realities mean Australia must both rebuild and modernise its development efforts. -
5 May 2023
Japan’s Article 9: Pacifism and protests as defence budget doubles
In the rush to applaud increased military ties between Japan and Australia, resistance to the idea is often overlooked. -
5 May 2023
Five ideas from Allan Gyngell for a better foreign policy
Gyngell saw “national interest” as a matter for democratic discussion, always valuing the search for solutions. -
5 May 2023
Indonesia’s dilemma as China pushes a “Global Security Initiative”
Existing regional mechanisms can accommodate diverse interests in Southeast Asia without the need for a new forum. -
4 May 2023
The cost of crime and corruption on Pacific fisheries
The need for a well-funded response to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has never been greater. -
4 May 2023
Five potential global consequences of Sudan’s escalating conflict
Even distant Australia could feel knock-on effects of a refugee crisis, gold smuggling and disruption to wheat crops. -
4 May 2023
The case for opening the ADF to citizens of Pacific Islands nations
The potential benefits in a contested region extend far beyond a military need. -
3 May 2023
The “Indo-Pacific” is here. Yet “Asia-Pacific” lives on
Debate over the shape of the region is far from settled – and with that lies the promise of ongoing rivalry. -
3 May 2023
Remembering Allan Gyngell, “the finest mind in Australian foreign policy”
Analyst, diplomat, author. Few Australians could better judge Australia’s place in the world. -
3 May 2023
International debt: Time for a global restructuring framework
In domestic bankruptcy, a specialised institution settles creditors. Why can’t this be the case for emerging economies? -
2 May 2023
Choosing openness in the international economy
As the region seeks to rebound from a global economic downturn, the free flow of goods and services is key. -
2 May 2023
What price will Laos need to pay to be saved, and will China pay it?
The debt-burdened Southeast Asian nation offers China a chance to recast its reputation. -
2 May 2023
Managing Japan-Australia energy tensions in a time of transition
Australia can’t afford to support Japan’s carbon emissions anymore than its own. -
1 May 2023
Chinese spy bases on Myanmar’s Great Coco Island? Here we go again
A little history should help dampen some wild speculation about eavesdropping facilities in the Indian Ocean. -
1 May 2023
Finding opportunity in Asia’s net-zero transition
Australia will miss out if it doesn’t prepare for lower coal and gas exports. -
1 May 2023
AUKUS + NZ = win-win
New Zealand can make creative contributions to the technology sides of the partnership – and greatly benefit, too. -
28 Apr 2023
How Indonesia can afford to cut coal-fired power – and faster
The Just Energy Transition Partnership can be a model for other countries to accelerate energy systems transformation. -
28 Apr 2023
South Korea can’t afford to be a Wally with water
And neither can the rest of the world. -
28 Apr 2023
Marcos has turned the Philippines towards America – not without risks
An expanded US military presence will benefit efforts to stand up to China. But Filipinos are wary of the social cost. -
27 Apr 2023
Will US reassurance be enough to halt South Korea’s nuclear ambition?
Seoul has won extra support from Washington, but not for the goal of global disarmament. -
27 Apr 2023
Economic diplomacy: Friends, rivals and diplomatic gaslighting
Money still talks in a new world of tighter security alliances when Japan and China can align against Australia on energy. -
27 Apr 2023
Bringing the Blue Pacific and Indo-Pacific narratives together
More than a distraction, geopolitical competition shapes the regional security agenda – and that carries opportunity. -
27 Apr 2023
Shaky foundations for the New Development Bank
A new president for BRICS groupings finance arm must steer geopolitical storms from outside – as well as within. -
26 Apr 2023
The two big flaws in Penny Wong’s talk of deterrence over Taiwan
It’s wishful thinking to dismiss debate on the most difficult and important foreign policy question as a “parlour game”. -
26 Apr 2023
Quad should ask ASEAN to a diplomatic dance
For all the talk of hedging, Southeast Asian nations have long worried about China’s ambition to dominate the region. -
25 Apr 2023
Public holiday: ANZAC Day
Tuesday is a public holiday in Australia. Normal publishing will resume on Wednesday. -
24 Apr 2023
Defence Review: DFAT gets a boost
For the first time, a major Defence policy statement recommends more diplomatic funding. -
24 Apr 2023
Defence Strategic Review: Strong chords, with one jarring note
A promising strategy, but is there tension with AUKUS? -
24 Apr 2023
Robert O’Neill: on war, strategy and history
Remembering a doyen of Australian strategic studies. -
24 Apr 2023
To India, spoils of empire a less sparkly side of Charles’ coronation
Narendra Modi has set out to erase a colonial mindset in public life, but its replacement has generated its own unease. -
21 Apr 2023
Strategic divergence with Indonesia: an Australian perspective
Despite expected differences with Indonesia, Australia also underplays how fast its regional approach has changed in just a decade. -
21 Apr 2023
India still needs to work with Russia on Afghanistan
Proximity changes the priorities for India in a conflict on the doorstep. -
20 Apr 2023
Don’t reward the Taliban’s gender apartheid with recognition
Returning diplomats to Afghanistan would send a terrible message to women and girls that the world has given up on them. -
20 Apr 2023
Embracing the different ways Indonesia and Australia view the region
It would be a mistake to assume enhanced defence cooperation means the two countries share a strategic outlook. -
20 Apr 2023
Questions about Australian aid to fund the Pacific Games
Australia is backing a sports tournament over urgent development needs, and doing so may break international aid rules. -
19 Apr 2023
Hugh White on the choice facing Penny Wong
How long can the Foreign Minister talk of a multipolar order in Asia in a government working to bolster US strategic primacy? -
19 Apr 2023
Chinese-Australians feel more at home
Despite tension in Australia-China relations, Chinese-Australians express stronger connection and trust in Australia. -
19 Apr 2023
Revisiting the Green Climate Fund in the Pacific
The Fund is providing important support but access remains a challenge. Australia re-joining could make the difference -
18 Apr 2023
Rallies, flags and motorbikes: it’s election time in Timor-Leste
Where do political dynamics stand as Southeast Asia’s youngest democracy kicks off parliamentary elections? -
18 Apr 2023
Not the Indo-Pacific: a Melanesian view on strategic competition
The states of the southwest Pacific are not interested in a zero-sum contest between the United States and China.