‘Only thunder, no rain’ is the Chinese saying. Plenty of serious-sounding noise has come from Japan in the past few years about the need to back Taiwan against conquest by China, but it isn’t turning …
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party has accepted the resignation of one of its own most highly ranked members, former foreign minister Qin Gang, highlighting Xi Jinping’s continuing lack of trust in some …
In 2017, Iran unveiled a digital clock counting down the days to the destruction of Israel in 2040. The display, located in Tehran’s Palestine Square, embodies the Islamic Republic’s long-held commitment to annihilating the Jewish …
There’s no end in sight to the nightmare of Russia’s assault on Ukraine. Scores were left dead and injured across Ukraine last week when Russian missiles struck Kyiv and other cities. One even tore through …
Australia and France should be cooperating in the space domain—much more than they currently do. With increased strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, space is becoming a critical area, and Australia’s neighbours are investing exponentially in …
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June and North Korea’s announcement this month of tests of new missiles have raised alarms in Washington, rattled America’s allies and threaten to destabilise the Indo-Pacific region. …
On 13 July, the Australian government announced a new Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy designed to increase Pacific access to Australian content and foster engagement across the region, boosting capacity and capability through a variety of training …
John Healey, the secretary of state for defence in Britain’s new Labour government, could be forgiven for not putting the country’s geostrategic presence in the Indo-Pacific at the top of his to-do list. Russia’s aggression …
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will represent Australia at the 10th Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo this week. Wong should use the opportunity to publicly affirm the importance of Japan’s contribution to peace …
To ensure the effectiveness of its foreign aid program, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade must conduct more long-term evaluations of projects. Some look good right after completion but not several years later. Early …
China is putting great effort into developing its soldiers’ ability to operate in high-altitude and cold environments, increasing its military capacity relative to India. Skills as simple as shovelling snow have become part of combat …
Europe is well ahead of Australia in its understanding of hybrid threats—harmful tactics below the threshold of war. Australia views these acts as isolated attacks across diplomatic, military, economic and technological domains, whereas European governments …
The extraordinary arc of failure of Myanmar’s military has gone from coup and crack-down to the brink of regime crack-up. When seizing power in February 2021, the military expected to consolidate power and crush resistance. …
The current pace of advances in generative artificial intelligence makes it difficult to forecast how the technology will affect the economy, business, and society. Nonetheless, it already seems clear that the new AI applications will …
Artificial intelligence can supercharge the effect of hacking attacks. As use of AI widens, people and organisations will have to become much more careful in guarding against its malicious use. One aspect of the hacking …
ASPI’s Washington DC office was announced in September 2021 as Australia and the United States celebrated the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance and as the AUKUS partnership was being established with the United Kingdom. …
Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence, warned in March that ‘Russia’s need for support in the context of Ukraine has forced it to grant some long-sought concessions to China, North Korea and Iran …
It will be a welcome step if the current Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) recommends further empowering the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) to lead capability development and, by extension, to achieve a more collective approach …
China and Australia agreed last month to set up a new maritime affairs dialogue, but this is unlikely to lead to a reduction in the frequency of unsafe behaviour by the Chinese armed forces. Australia …
Treasury has stepped up enforcement of Australia’s foreign investment regime, however it continues to try to balance protecting national interests and encouraging investment inflows. Data suggests some foreign investors, noting national security provisions in the …