Japan’s decision to deploy the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the joint strike fighter, the F-35B, from its Izumo-class warships will transform them into what many predicted they would eventually become—small aircraft …
Over recent years, a somewhat geeky debate has emerged among the exponents of deterrence and assurance. Although the discussion typically occurs between Americans and nationals of an allied country, it’s overly simplistic to describe it …
The goal of two states for two nations, living side by side within secure borders, has been the foundation of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process since the 1993 Oslo Accords. But for all intents and purposes, …
In his annual New Year’s address, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is committed to denuclearisation but will change course if the US persists with ‘sanctions and pressures’. The statement confirmed that all steps …
The regional security situation is evolving faster than anyone expected and that’s driving the Royal Australian Navy’s rebalance from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, says RAN chief Mike Noonan. ‘Our government’s focus on the …
In this special podcast, ASPI’s Dr Isaac Kfir talks to Professor Philomena Murray and Dr Margherita Matera from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne about the latest developments in …
Reports from Washington suggest that US President Donald Trump is pushing for a quick military withdrawal from Afghanistan and that the defence establishment is attempting to reduce the number of troops pulled out and the …
Chinese leaders do like their slogans, and where foreign policy is concerned, two have reflected Beijing’s thinking in recent times. The first is the cautious principle of tao guang yang hui, usually rendered in English …
An odd element of Australia–India relations for two decades has been Canberra’s reluctance to push for India to join Asia’s most important economic group, APEC. The strangeness is heightened by the obvious synergy between Australia’s …
Every now and then, a US political leader descends on Cairo to deliver an address outlining America’s policy objectives in the ever-challenging Middle East. In June 2005 the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, made waves …
Australia’s national intelligence community (NIC) has grown and evolved significantly in recent years. But its key oversight and accountability mechanisms have remained comparatively unchanged and legislatively constrained. By their very nature, intelligence agencies need to …
The remote, coral-fringed North Sentinel Island made headlines late last year, after an American Christian missionary’s covert expedition to convert its residents—the world’s last known pre-Neolithic tribal group—ended in his death. The episode has cast …
In our first podcast for 2019, Marcus Hellyer and Malcolm Davis discuss China’s space ambitions and the progress of Australia’s naval shipbuilding program. Jack Norton catches up with Graeme Dobell to discover who won this …
What would we say if Washington asked to base nuclear-armed missiles, aimed at China, on Australian territory? It’s not an entirely hypothetical question. Amid all the talk of a new cold war with China, the …
The unfolding geopolitical contest between China and the United States has been described by many as a new cold war. If it ever becomes a hot one, the flashpoint could be Taiwan, owing in large …
When the Australian polity talks about relations with India, there’s always a wistful bit about the great possibilities and how little has been achieved. The sense of regret requires ignoring a lot of history. It’s …
After more than 17 years, the time has come to accept two important truths about the war in Afghanistan. The first is that there will be no military victory by the government and its American …
Over recent years, the Asia–Pacific maritime security environment has become increasingly complex. Transnational serious and organised crime in the maritime domain (including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; piracy; and trafficking of weapons, drugs and people), …
They say the strength of a chain is measured by its weakest link. The same may be true for the Quad, the group of four Indo-Pacific democracies—Australia, India, Japan and the US—that gathered in November …
Pyongyang recently issued a couple of statements that reinforce the view that North Korea has no intention to denuclearise. On 20 December, KCNA, the official North Korean news agency, published a commentary providing North Korea’s …