Sea state An American guided-missile destroyer, USS Carney, shot down three drones launched from Yemen by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement during an hours-long assault after commercial vessels were struck by missiles in the Red Sea. …
More than two years have passed since Australia released its second national action plan on women, peace and security, but the government has not yet reported on its implementation. The plan is intended to ensure …
Australia’s 2023 cybersecurity strategy makes clear that most of the things we need to do to protect ourselves in cyberspace are essentially defensive. The strategy is usefully organised according to six ‘shields’. But sometimes we …
Geopolitics is driving the dangerous strategic realities that Australia faces. Beijing’s expansionist agenda is seen through its military aggression and commitment to undermining and changing international rules; Russia continues its revisionist war against Ukraine and a disruptive foreign …
In recent years, many policymakers thought they had found the perfect formula for implementing climate-friendly policies without facing difficult political trade-offs: massive subsidies. This strategy, often associated with US President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, …
On 14 November, Aso Taro, the vice president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, called for Japan to be included in the AUKUS trilateral security partnership with Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. …
Under its terms of reference, one of the tasks of the 2024 independent review of Australia’s national intelligence community is to consider whether the NIC’s workforce decision-making reflects ‘a sufficiently strategic response to current and …
Great power rivalry and climate-induced migration are frequently discussed in discourse about the effects of climate change in the Pacific, but we must not forget the implications for human security. As Pacific Islanders are increasingly …
Victories by Myanmar’s ethnic insurgents over the past three months have resulted in a strategic shift in the civil war, and in the balance of power in Myanmar. Manpower is a key factor in an …
In October, Polish voters demonstrated that even extremely unequal elections against authoritarian incumbents can be won. The opposition’s victory, and the country’s subsequent re-democratisation, may hold useful lessons for likeminded forces in Hungary, Turkey, and …
Thucydides trap: from the Greek historian’s statement that the alarm of the established power at the challenge of the rising power makes war inevitable. The Asia–Pacific ponders the growing chances of war. Australia’s policy community …
It is difficult to imagine the world without Henry Kissinger, not simply because he lived to be 100 years old, but because he occupied an influential—and sometimes dominant—place in American foreign policy and international relations …
Fallopia japonica, better known as Japanese Knotweed, is a highly invasive plant that forms dense thickets, outcompeting native vegetation. Present day disinformation is a lot like Japanese Knotweed. It takes just one post (or plant) …
In the campaign for Taiwan’s January 2024 presidential election, the 24 November deadline for formal registrations of candidatures with the Central Election Commission led to a week of political high drama. With the lead of …
Following the 2023 defence strategic review and in the face of an increasingly challenging security environment, Australia’s long-standing goal of building sovereign industrial capacity has taken on new urgency. But the lofty ideal has never been …
The quest for independence signals a nation’s pursuit of sovereignty and control over its internal and external affairs. Sovereignty serves as the cornerstone upon which a country’s identity, governance, security, and international relationships are built. …
The Northern Territory government often compares the proximity of Darwin to Asian and Australian cities. To be sure, Asia is very close to Darwin, with Dili just one hour’s flying time away. An often-used government …
Australian intelligence’s foremost challenge is to further evolve from being a ‘national intelligence community’ to generating ‘national intelligence power’. It will do that by more effectively integrating intelligence into the government’s broad policymaking, strategising and …
Planet A The host nation of COP28, the United Arab Emirates, has been criticised over leaked documents that reveal plans to leverage the climate discussions to promote deals for its national oil and gas companies. …
Some of those who want to appease Beijing assert that China’s military superiority would enable it to defeat the US over Taiwan. Like the supposed superior strengths of the Chinese economy, these arguments are based …