A strategic compass for Europe

A compass helps one find one’s way, and the ‘strategic compass’ that I have drafted at the behest of the European Council will serve as an operational guide for the European Union’s development and decision-making …

Why Keating is wrong about China

At his speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday and in an article in the Australian Financial Review in September, former prime minister Paul Keating gave the strong impression of being a sleepwalker who …

The narco-terrorist Taliban

The strategic folly of US President Joe Biden’s Afghanistan policy has been laid bare in recent weeks. First, the country came back under the control of the Pakistan-reared Taliban. The announcement of the interim government’s …

ASPI’s decades: Australia’s island arc

ASPI celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. This series looks at ASPI’s work since its creation in August 2001. Australia’s leading role in East Timor in 1999 and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands …

Keating out of date and out of touch on Taiwan

On Wednesday, former Australian prime minister Paul Keating fronted the National Press Club in Canberra to present a critique of Australian foreign and defence policy and his take on the strategic outlook. He offered a …

It’s AUKUS, not A(UK)US

Perhaps my ticklish British sensibilities are getting the better of me, but I’ve noticed a creeping tendency in the Australian debate to reduce the United Kingdom’s role in AUKUS to the margins of what is …

AUKUS and Australian grand strategy

Having a coherent strategy matters. It allows the effective allocation of scarce resources. It provides a framework against which events and trends can be assessed, helping to guide bureaucratic action, diplomatic activity and military posture. …