Early last month, China’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, officially approved the country’s 14th five-year plan. The strategy was supposed to demonstrate that China has a long-term economic vision that will enable it to …
The Australian Defence Force has long had an important role in providing humanitarian assistance to Pacific island countries. The force has extraordinary capabilities—people, expertise, training and equipment—in delivering assistance quickly and efficiently. The ADF is …
Debates about Taiwan policy often end in a moral impasse. Those focused on preserving peace in our time often point to the devastating human costs of defending Taiwan if that ultimately means high-intensity warfare between …
A historic first meeting of the leaders of the countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue took place last month, albeit via video link, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister …
During Joe Biden’s long career in the US Senate, he established a record of supporting human rights as a goal of American foreign policy. Now, as president, Biden’s commitment in this area is being put …
In November 2016, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced an independent review of Australia’s national intelligence community (NIC) to evaluate its operations and determine if it was effectively serving our national interests. A central aim of …
This is not an article I had expected, intended or wanted to write. I have politely declined requests to write on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in relation to the current crisis in Myanmar and …
The Sino-American relationship is at its lowest point in decades. Following last month’s bilateral summit in Alaska—the first high-level talks since President Joe Biden took office—it is far from clear whether the new US administration …
Here are 14 points on the longest icy age between Australia and China since diplomatic relations were established nearly 50 years ago. The 14 points match the number—but not spirit—of the Chinese embassy’s 14 angry …
The Strategist is taking a couple of days off from publishing duties over Easter. If you’re having some time off, there’s plenty of reading material here to keep you going, including our coverage of the …
In this episode, ASPI senior analyst Marcus Hellyer speaks to ASPI senior fellow Andrew Davies about his recent report, Coming ready or not: hypersonic weapons. They discuss what hypersonic weapons are, whether there are ways …
The Chinese Communist Party is launching increasingly bold and sophisticated information operations in an attempt to shape international perceptions of its treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. A new report from the ASPI …
Just before midnight on 7 December 1941, Flying Officer Peter Gibbes stepped off the train at Kota Bharu on the coast of northeast Malaya after a long, tiring journey up the peninsula from Singapore. Gibbes, …
Some months ago, Chinese authorities approached some of the biggest foreign companies in the country and asked them to tap a representative to participate in a small closed-door gathering on China’s new economic strategy. The …
This post is an edited extract from ASPI’s Counterterrorism yearbook 2021. A full PDF of the yearbook, which includes notes and sources for each chapter, is available on ASPI’s website. The risk of terrorism, like the risk of …
At a time of increasing strategic tension in the Indo-Pacific, the United States sees the Royal Australian Air Force as an extremely capable partner in the region. Interviewed by The Strategist, the commander of the …
Sea state Three Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines emerged within 300 metres of each other through polar ice and snow during major Arctic exercise Umka-2021 (see video). One fired a torpedo under the ice, while …
A satellite in polar orbit providing services to Australians flies over almost every country in the world, every day. No other technology offers the level of global connectivity that advanced space applications provide. As we’ve …
This post is an edited excerpt from ASPI’s Counterterrorism yearbook 2021, released today. A full PDF of the yearbook, which includes notes and sources for each chapter, is available for free download from ASPI’s website. Online memes have …
It would be difficult for Australia to disentangle itself from the supply lines that connect the Xinjiang cotton fields to its retail clothing industry. Almost two-thirds of the clothing sold in Australian stores is manufactured …