In their reaction to a whopping election defeat, Thailand’s conservatives want to diminish the electorate’s votes in the defence of the monarchy. This unambiguous politicisation of the crown by its supporters is a perilous strategy, stokes republicanism, and may put the monarchy at risk.

In May 2022, Australia looked poised to move away from a long-term hedging and somewhat pedestrian position on nuclear non-proliferation. One year on, the Albanese government has yet to live up to promises made as leader of the opposition.

The prospect that Donald Trump may return to the White House in 2025 is much closer than many think. Victory is likely to be found in the “white working class.” 

By many measurements, democracy is in a troubling decline, even in many Western states. As the debate about economics becomes increasingly hijacked by nationalist sentiments, it is little surprise that “flawed” democracies and “Hybrid” regimes are becoming more commonplace.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Quad Leaders’ Meeting in Sydney cancelled, Marles addresses American Chamber of Commerce, Wong travels to Laos and the Philippines, and more.

China’s entertainment celebrities are indentured to aid the ruling Communist Party by regulatory frameworks and potential online public censure with follow-up industry and government action. These formal and informal controls prevent PRC celebrities from using their mediatised star power to wield oppositional political influence.

Common wisdom in political science is that incumbents usually lose elections when there is an economic crisis. However, that does not seem to apply to Erdoğan.

With the Australian economy weathering the disruptive trade measures Beijing imposed in 2020, much triumphalism has followed. As one commentator put it, “While they hurt for a while, Australia found other markets.”

The 14 May election in Türkiye shocked many analysts who believed the opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, would defeat the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For the first time, Türkiye will conduct a run-off for a presidential election because no candidate was able to achieve 50 per cent of the vote.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance, South Korea and the US further strengthened their relationship by agreeing to the Washington Declaration. To Beijing, the declaration adds another layer to what it sees as a threat to the Party's very existence.