Beijing’s goals, set out in numerous speeches by Xi Jinping and in decisions and actions, are clear now. Number one remains Xi and the Chinese Communist Party staying in power indefinitely as rulers of China’s …
When more than 50 million Filipinos cast their ballots on 9 May for a new president, they’ll decide far more than who will be the next occupant of the Malacañan Palace. At stake are the …
When Northern Territory supply chains that were already stressed by Covid-19-related delays were hit by massive flooding in January, it’s not surprising they buckled and broke. For nearly a month after acute flooding damaged railways …
Last Sunday, Russian missiles struck the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security at Yavoriv in western Ukraine, a mere 25 kilometres from the Polish border. The strikes were carried out with cruise missiles launched by …
Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced an increase of 18,500 to the Department of Defence’s full-time workforce by 2040. I’ll spare you the (semi-)snarky commentary about (semi-)announcements this time and get straight to unpacking …
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the awful scenes of human suffering accompanying it are understandably prompting many to ask what more can be done to respond. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been making loud …
Though it’s 5,240 kilometres from the hostilities, India is feeling the political heat from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s indefensible invasion of Ukraine. New Delhi is clearly unsettled as it treads a line between Russia and …
As China seeks greater influence in the South Pacific, its manipulation of local news outlets is having a serious impact on media independence. Most Pacific media organisations are struggling financially, many journalists have lost their …
ASPI’s The geopolitics of climate and security in the Indo-Pacific is a sobering read that describes the international security implications of climate change in our region in 2035. In one description of a plausible future, …
Democracies need to accept the mainstream adoption of end-to-end encryption in popular messaging and communications applications like WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage and, in the future according to Meta, Facebook Messenger. End-to-end encryption, where only the sender …
With its subdued condemnation of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Israel has failed to strike a just balance between morality and realpolitik. Given that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has refused even to meet with Palestinian …
As the United States slides deeper into a proxy war with Russia, Indo-Pacific countries are increasingly concerned about the long-term implications of the Ukraine crisis for America’s power and position in this part of the …
The West is waging a hot economic war against Russia. That Rubicon has been crossed. The West is fighting this war by arming Ukraine and imposing an economic blockade that explicitly aims to eliminate Vladimir …
Planet A US President Joe Biden has moved to ban Russian oil imports with bipartisan congressional support. The White House is also trying to coordinate a wider oil embargo with European allies. Only 3% of …
‘Ripeness is all’, noted Edgar in Shakespeare’s King Lear. When it comes to negotiations to limit or end international conflicts, he is right: agreements emerge only when the leading protagonists are willing to compromise and …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recent announcement of a plan to increase the size of the Australian Defence Force to 80,000 uniformed personnel by 2040 reflects the step change that’s expected in Australia’s strategic outlook over …
After two very long years, there’s a sense of optimism emerging in Australia that the worst of Covid-19 might be behind us. It’s tempting to assume that if we see the beginning of the end …
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese began his Lowy Institute speech last Thursday referring to Prime Minister John Curtin’s 1941 declaration that Australia ‘looked to America’ in our moment of deepest strategic danger. In 2022 we have …
Russia grinds towards military objectives in Ukraine as the first smartphone war confounds and surprises. Networked warfare meets networked people. The fog of war turns to patches of mist. Modern weapons with all the sensors …
Last week at the 13th Australian Space Forum in Adelaide, the minister for science and technology, Melissa Price, announced the creation of a unified strategy for Australia’s space sector. It’s an important step forward for …