A series of stunning political developments, originating in Saudi Arabia, has been roiling an already volatile Middle East. Is a major new war in the offing? Saudi Arabia’s ambitious 32-year-old crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman …
China’s military modernisation remains a key concern for the US and its allies. Crucial in that regard has been China’s development of forces geared towards preventing uncontested access to its air and maritime approaches by …
Australia’s foreign policy must advance our values and our national interests. It must do so clear-eyed and pragmatic, in a time when the pace and scale of change is unprecedented in all of human history. …
The cover of the Turnbull government’s 2017 foreign policy white paper shows Australia large and at the centre of our universe—but still dwarfed by the imposing vastness of Asia stretching right over it. Europe, at …
Australia’s foreign policy white paper is a contrast study, both dark and light. Bright vistas of international opportunity are described beneath storm clouds of ‘political alienation and economic nationalism’. Here are both dreams and nightmares: …
The beat Open letter against domestic abuse The Lochaber and Skye Police in Scotland has received praise for a series of tweets it published to express its support for women trapped in situations of domestic …
Mohammed bin Salman, the young crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has established two things beyond doubt since his father, King Salman, ascended the throne in 2015 and handed him the keys …
Australian mining companies are at the forefront of exploration, operations and investment on the African continent. As Foreign Minister Julie Bishop noted at the Africa Down Under conference in Perth in September 2017, more than …
Australia and the United States enjoy deep historical links in the areas of law, the economy and defence. As we confront the challenges of the age of disruption, there are five policy approaches that will …
Last Wednesday, Zimbabweans woke up to the news that the army had been forced to act to defuse a political crisis created by the unconstitutional sacking of the vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and others within …
After four weeks of exploratory talks between the centre-right parties led by Angela Merkel failed to find enough common ground with the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to begin formal negotiations on a …
In September, ASPI hosted the 2017 Nuclear Strategy Masterclass where leading defence and security experts dissected the current environment. Some key warnings resonated from the event: the threats that Australia faces regionally, and as a …
After spending over a week in Saudi Arabia following his unexpected resignation, then visiting France, Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s former prime minister, is expected to arrive back in Lebanon later today. He has accused Iran of …
There’s been a lot of press in the past few years about the potential impact of quantum technologies. The casual observer exposed to the more breathless sort of reporting could be forgiven for thinking that …
‘The goalposts weren’t just moved, they were cut down and used for firewood.’ That’s how former Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson characterised the impact of defence budget cuts as the three-year political cycle drove the …
Sea state Attention is back on the South China Sea as China and ASEAN officially announced negotiations on the text of a code of conduct in the disputed waterway. There’s little optimism that the negotiations …
Yemen is a humanitarian disaster. It was a failed state even before its most recent civil war began nearly three years ago. But Saudi Arabian meddling is exacerbating the crisis and there’s no resolution in …
The government is expected to announce soon the successful bidder for Project SEA 1180, to replace the 13 Armidale-class patrol boats with 12 larger offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) to fulfil the maritime constabulary role, with …
Paul Dibb and Richard Brabin-Smith have written a significant ASPI paper that may well mark a turning point in Australia’s efforts to adapt to the new strategic circumstances we confront in Asia. That policymakers of …
Welcome to The Strategist Six, a feature that provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. ‘Fifth generation’ is a term …