The Australian Defence Force needs bold, creative initiatives to attract and keep enough personnel to reach expansion targets. Ask Australians in their 20s what matters to them right now, and housing will rank high. The …
This is the first of two parts of an article on coercive threats to critical minerals supply and what Australia and its critical minerals partners are doing and should do to counter them. Markets …
Two years ago, I outlined eight lessons from the Ukraine War. Though I warned that it was too early to be confident about any predictions, they have held up reasonably well. When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered …
The Australian Liberal-National opposition’s proposal to build nuclear power stations on the sites of old coal-fired plants is misguided. The policy would perpetuate Australia’s concentration of electricity generation and worsen our vulnerability to air and …
The 20 May 2024 inauguration of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, was an exuberant and giddy celebration of democracy. The square in front of the presidential office was filled—with performers dressed as food, dancers moving …
This month, hundreds of millions of voters will head to the polls for the European Parliament elections, and many will ask what the European Union has done for them since the last election, in 2019. …
Australia’s digital sovereignty is at risk of disaster, held hostage by a network of vulnerable subsea cables. Our complacent reliance on these underwater lifelines is a reckless gamble with our economic, social and national security. …
Indo-Pacific alliances and partnerships are a key advantage of the United States in competing with China. Now the United States seeks an economic version of that strategic advantage with a Statement of Principles for Indo-Pacific …
Australian defence policy’s reliance on technology for asymmetric advantage is mistaken. The advantage won’t last, and what the policy discusses isn’t asymmetric, anyway; it’s basically the idea of weapon overmatch. Asymmetric effect is more of an …
With the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI has once again shown itself to be the world’s most innovative artificial-intelligence company. This new multimodal AI tool, which seamlessly integrates text, voice and visual capabilities, is significantly faster …
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict matters more to Australians and Indonesians than either country’s foreign policy elite previously acknowledged. So, Canberra and Jakarta should cooperate to help resolve it. They should articulate a joint vision of the …
Fijian politics, already suffering from a risk that the governing coalition could fall apart, now faces the further danger that the opposition party, which would lead an alternative government, is also suffering a severe split. …
Australians want a bold vision for their future economic prosperity. They want not just to create new opportunities but to align them with our values and international commitments, not the least of which is the …
In the ‘differ where we must’ dimension of dealing with China, Australia is wielding a new nomenclature stick. (Schtick?) Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles talks about the ‘West Philippine Sea’, not just …
China is seeking to establish itself as the hegemonic power in Asia, using coercion and intimidation, and by challenging US primacy. It appears to be willing to use force to achieve its aims, perhaps from …
Australia’s Future Gas Strategy poorly reflects northern Australian resource needs and undermines the national interest. It will delay Australia providing for both regional energy and climate security. It is particularly out of step with First …
Xi Jinping Thought (XJT) is now the principal ideology governing China. It carries deep implications for the ways democratic nations deal with the country in an increasingly confrontational era of strategic competition. Yet this ideology …
The annual Singapore sound-off between the defence ministers of China and the US had a little less roar-roar and a fraction more jaw-jaw. A positive from the 21st Shangri-La dialogue on 31 May to 2 …
Ministers and officials can expect a grilling about Australia’s support for Ukraine in Senate Estimates hearings next week. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and the secretary of her department, Jan Adams, will be asked again why …
Trade barriers, tariffs and other protectionist tools are starting to feature more prominently around the world, often appearing under the heading of economic security. The decision by President Joe Biden’s administration this month to quadruple US …