Australia’s diplomatic lapses in 2021 exposed our underappreciation of diplomacy and underinvestment in diplomatic capability. Foreign policy and diplomacy are not the same. As I note in my new ASPI report, The costs of discounted …
Why has Russia’s President Vladimir Putin become so aggressive in his attitude to the US, NATO and Ukraine? In this article, I begin by examining the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and how it …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Monday that 1,700 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed to support the aged care sector. The intent is to provide immediate assistance with managing Covid-19 outbreaks and alleviating …
For the moment, Defence Minister Peter Dutton has decided to stick with the troubled Hunter-class frigate program. With his usual candour, he told The Australian last week: ‘We looked very carefully at this project and …
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital adoption and digital transformation in many regions of the world. In Southeast Asia, this has driven unprecedented demand for online services in retail, digital payments, education and health. However, …
The best test of the effectiveness of US sanctions policy over Ukraine will be if it deters Russia from invading and encourages a negotiated solution. Once the military has moved, sanctions are unlikely to prompt …
In this episode, ASPI’s Fergus Ryan speaks to China expert Joanna Chiu about her new book, China unbound: a new world disorder. They discuss the changing attitudes towards China in Western countries and the importance …
Few parts of the world paid as high a cost during the Cold War as Southeast Asia. The superpower conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union divided the region into pro- and anti-communist …
In 2000, it appeared that international borders were becoming less and less important. Between then and 2020, most Australians seemed comfortably unaware that international travel was only more accessible for those with the ‘right’ passports. …
Beijing’s quest to promote positive images of China overseas blurs the distinction between publicity and propaganda. Government departments contract private companies to funnel disinformation on Western social media and co-opt influencers alongside their legitimate public-relations …
For international observers, Russian President Vladimir Putin either will start a new war in Ukraine or he will not. But for Ukrainians, the war started when Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, and it has continued …
On 2 February, ASPI released Agenda for change 2022: shaping a different future for our nation to promote public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to Australia. The key message in Agenda for …
Alarm about the state of US democracy has been getting ever more insistent in recent weeks as the congressional investigation into the 6 January 2021, insurrection uncovers more information about organised attempts by elected officials …
The 2020s have begun a period of rapid change for Australian defence planners. The government’s 2020 defence strategic update and accompanying force structure plan refocused strategic and operational priorities to the Indo-Pacific. They highlighted the …
‘Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you.’ With these words, President Biden …
Empires never fall quietly, and defeated great powers always develop revanchist aspirations. That was the case for Germany after World War I: a humiliating peace agreement and the offer of former German territories to the …
The slow-motion crash of Micronesia’s break with the Pacific Islands Forum has reached the one-year mark. Back on 8 February 2021, the Micronesia five—the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau—announced they …
Much speculation surrounds the negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal (formally, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) as they near their final phase. The latest statements emanating out of Washington signal …
Chinese Communist Party leaders use ‘collective study sessions’ to identify emerging technologies that they can harness politically. Given the merging of civil and military industrial goals in China, the international community needs to recognise the …
Was the current crisis in Ukraine caused by a lack of realism in US foreign policy? According to some analysts, the liberal desire to spread democracy is what drove NATO’s expansion up to Russia’s borders, …