The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group is reshaping perceptions of the far-right in the European Parliament through strategic cooperation with mainstream parties. Despite internal divisions and nationalist challenges, its growing influence highlights the complexities of far-right politics in a transnational context.

How to describe Australia’s relationship with China is something that has vexed many of Australia’s political leaders. From Kevin Rudd’s offer that Australia might serve as China’s “zhengyou” (honest friend), to Tony Abbott’s description of the relationship as defined by “fear and greed,” to Malcolm Turnbull’s quip that China represented a “frenemy” of Australia, the labels used by these three prime ministers symbolise the difficulty we have faced in recent years in Australia in thinking about how to frame our multifaceted relationship with China.

The Trump campaign war cry “we will drill, baby, drill” could lead to a resurgence of oil and gas (O&G) exploration and production in the South China Sea when (and not if) President-elect Donald Trump removes obstacles to oil and gas production currently in place in the United States. It may also add to the existing commercial bulwark the United States and its allies in the region already possess to deter China’s attempts to seek hegemony over the South China Sea.  

Amid the Ukraine conflict, Central Asian states are leveraging a multi-vector foreign policy to balance historic ties with Russia and expanding partnerships with global powers. This strategic pivot highlights their resilience in navigating a complex and shifting geopolitical landscape.

Indonesia's new Cabinet formation under President Prabowo Subianto highlights both the inclusiveness and challenges of coalition-led governance, revealing a political environment heavily influenced by elite networks and patronage in party politics. This piece explores how democratising candidate selection in parties might pave the way for a more responsive and accountable government, aligning political appointments more closely with the public interest.  

With populist fervor now embedded in US-China relations, economic tensions have become a bipartisan fixture in Washington. As both parties double down on Trump’s legacy of tough talk, the US-China trade war is set to be a defining—and enduring—feature of American foreign policy.

Harrison's groundbreaking study reveals how military conscription has been weaponised as a tool of genocide, with devastating case studies from the Ottoman Empire and Hungary. It's prescriptions for contemporary rights abuses are many and relevant to current conflicts. 

The fact that the Pacific Community (SPC) has been forced to hold its annual executive meeting thousands of kilometres away from its headquarters in Noumea this year was an unsettling reminder that decolonisation in the Pacific Island region is still an unfinished project. These challenges underscore the need for an inclusive and resilient regional framework as the Blue Pacific seeks a united future.

What does Donald Trump have store for Australia when he returns to the White House? Past actions reveal a willingness to undermine long-standing alliances and deterrence strategies, raising concerns about the potential fallout for US partners like Australia and South Korea.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Albanese in Peru for APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and Brazil for the G20 Leaders’ Summit; Marles hosts Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C Teodoro Jr for the inaugural Australia-Philippines Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Canberra; new Indo-Pacific NGO Blended Finance Accelerator announced, and more.