Over the past 50 years there were many times when Australia and Indonesia found it difficult to talk to each other about politics, strategy or diplomacy. We’re having another episode now. Economics, though, has always …
Articles by: "Graeme Dobell"
China’s economy may be facing its 1929 moment. Or this may be only the painful burst of a big bubble. Will it become a cascading catastrophe or just a crashing correction? Pay your money and …
For India and Australia, a striking new reality is in view. One of the great negatives in India’s traditional view of Australia is turning into a positive. Suddenly Australia’s alliance with the US makes us …
The Australian Army has to do more than fight. It must carry a legend and serve the slouch hat mystique. The mythology’s a century old and is as much a part of the Army as …
ASEAN’s leaders are worried about what history tells them about the future of Southeast Asia. The fears about the lessons of history are a discordant note as ASEAN steps up to a great moment in …
The strategic discussion between the US and China can’t be called a dialogue of the deaf. The talk is loud and each side hears the other. Yet a lot of mishearing is happening. Perhaps the …
Remember a decade ago when the US appealed for China to be a responsible stakeholder? Congratulations, Washington. Wish come true. China sure is responsible for a lot of things happening strategically and economically. And a …
Consider the Trans-Pacific Partnership as an economic hard power weapon. The TPP can’t deal out death like the US 7th Fleet. But a lot of the language used about the TPP is more geopolitics than …
China is starting to give Asia a big case of initiative fatigue. Too many ideas, too much activism. As Simon and Garfunkel crooned, ‘slow down, you’re moving too fast!’ Xi Jinping confirms he’s the most …
The balance of power is one of those concepts that gets the most attention when it’s shifting. Or wobbling. When people are talking about it, it’s time to be worried. And everybody is worried. As …
The Asian security dialogue is about verbal jabs and thought balloons. And policy signalling and point scoring. And, ideally, some meeting of minds, reaching towards actual agreement. The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the 14th Asia Security …
In his undergraduate years the US Defence Secretary, Ashton Carter, did a double major in Medieval History and Physics. It was perfect preparation for Asia today—arcane and complex history speaking directly to modern mysteries. At …