Trump’s trade gimmickry

US President Donald Trump’s bark on trade policy has so far been far worse than his bite. But this may be changing. In January, he raised tariffs on imported washing machines and solar cells. Now, …

Time for a national strategy?

Deep in our Australian collective psyche is a fundamental belief that we’re ‘the lucky country’. You can’t blame us because even our national anthem says ‘our land abounds in nature’s gifts, of beauty rich and …

WPS 2018: The view from Capital Hill

This article is the third in a series on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ that The Strategist will publish over coming weeks in recognition of International Women’s Day 2018. Eds. Both of us entered politics to shape public …

The forthcoming ASEAN CT summit

This weekend Malcolm Turnbull will host the leaders of the ASEAN countries attending the ASEAN–Australia Special Summit. The summit draws from the 2016 Defence White Paper and the 2017 foreign policy white paper, both which …

On making decisions right

  The government has made its long-awaited decision on the first phase of LAND 400, Defence’s megaproject to acquire new armoured combat vehicles. And the even bigger decision on the future frigate is likely soon …

Defence says no to WeChat

The Australian Defence Department has banned staff and serving personnel from downloading the Chinese social media and messaging app WeChat onto their work phones. ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre staff sat down today to discuss …

Will Malaysia’s Islamisation change course?

Malaysia is just a few months or even weeks away from its most contentious election in decades. Mahathir Mohamad—Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, whose rule ended in 2003—is, at 92, working with opposition figures he once …

How will new cybersecurity norms develop?

Last month, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for global action to minimise the risk posed by electronic warfare to civilians. Guterres lamented that ‘there is no regulatory scheme for that type of warfare’, noting …