Gordon de Brouwer on Economics vs Security, Climate Change, And Effective Policymaking

Just days into the Trump presidency’s fourth year, the United States (US) teetered on the brink of war with Iran, in no small part due to the fragile state of mind and foreign policy of Donald Trump. It’s been said that the president’s foreign policymaking is incoherent, or even irrational, but is this really the case?

Australia’s stance at December’s Madrid climate conference was damaging and widely condemned. It needs to reconsider its approach before the Glasgow conference this year.

Australia, China, and Indonesia have created different regulatory regimes to deal with their fintech landscapes. Each offers lessons in terms of privacy, data security, innovation and early lessons for inclusivity.

Since the US assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, the immediate crisis appears to have dissipated. However, the wider ramifications pose a worrying precedent for international affairs.

Ten years after Lorenzo Zambernardi’s seminal paper entitled “Counterinsurgency's Impossible Trilemma,” what is the reality of this trilemma today? Is it possible to trace regional changes in the concept after Qasem Suleimani’s death? Are we on the eve of global strategic changes in the Western/Eastern way of warfare and confrontation?

Brexit has had a significant impact in East Asia, with Japan seeking to realign its strategic and security interests so that it can reap the greatest possible benefit from new potential alliances.

Tsai Ing Wen and the Democratic People's Party came out as the victors of Taiwan's 2020 elections in a strong rebuke against Beijing. While it affirmed the Taiwanese people's attitudes towards China, it still does not provide a clear path forward.

Russian corporations are expected to increase their presence in the region. The Kremlin might attempt to increase its influence in Kathmandu, especially due to Nepal's hydro energy potential.

Given that there is no internationally binding system for migration regulation, parliaments hold the ultimate say in the matter. However, parliaments also constrain the room for maneouvre that governments have in conducting international negotiations.