Vladimir Putin: How to Win Western Friends and Influence them By Colin Chapman FAIIA — Analysis 20 March 2024How big a threat is Vladimir Putin to world peace? This is an important question, and one the West needs to address immediately. Read More
A Dysfunctional Family: How Australia Can and Should Repair its Relationships with the Pacific by Acting on Climate By Liam Moore — Analysis 18 March 2024The prevailing strategic culture in Australian foreign policy circles that view Pacific Island states in instrumental and paternalistic ways is unproductive. Moving forward, there must be active recognition of the agency of these actors and engagement with their key concerns — particularly climate change. Read More
A Cauldron of Instability? Stakeholders in South China Sea are Increasing Geopolitical Tensions By Benjamin Blandin and Professor Stephen Nagy — Analysis 18 March 2024As several stakeholders contest their claims over the South China Sea, a common Code of Conduct is unlikely to emerge. China's actions, in particular, undermine regional stability. Read More
The German Question in 2024: Zeitenwende, Leitkultur, or Simply Gesamtdeutsch? By Benedict Moleta — Analysis 18 March 2024The political, economic, and social dilemmas Germany faces in 2024 require unambiguous national leadership ‒ something neither Chancellor Olaf Scholz nor opposition leader Friedrich Merz has provided in public discourse throughout 2023. On the other hand, Left Party state premier Bodo Ramelow continues to put his finger on unreconciled national divisions, that require attention from national leaders. Read More
Ineffective Communication: Why and How Australia and China Talk Past Each Other By Guangyi Pan — Analysis 15 March 2024Due to power disparity, diplomatic interactions between China and Australia have been full of misinterpretations about each other’s intentions and demands. China’s suspended death sentence for Yang Hengjun exposed, again, Australia’s sensitive position in this asymmetric relationship, in which China’s great-power-centric mindset ignores Canberra’s needs for strategic autonomy and geopolitical security. Read More
Israel’s Military Strategy in Gaza: Success or Failure? Lessons from the British Military By Andrew Fox and Professor Sascha-Dominik (Dov) Bachmann — Analysis 15 March 2024The ongoing war in Gaza is tragic in terms of human suffering and there is little sign that this conflict will come to an end any time soon. This article asks what lessons can be drawn from recent British military history in defining success or failure. Read More
A look at Japan's Foreign Policy and Relations with Major Powers By Dr Michael Vaughan — Analysis 14 March 2024Japan has the world’s third largest economy. Internationally, Japan implements a multilateral diplomacy through dialogues and cooperation. Read More
Manasseh Sogavare – Master of Mayhem in the Solomon Islands By Professor Jon Fraenkel — Analysis 14 March 2024In the Solomon Islands, an election in April will decide whether a Chinese allied prime minister keeps his job. Manasseh Sogavare has taken advantage of urban unrest in the past, but his security partners may be reluctant to assist in future. Read More
Islands of Influence: Japan’s Ritou and their Significance to Maritime Security By Samuel Ng — Analysis 13 March 2024Japan must actively engage in dialogue and cooperation with its neighbours, with regard to its 14,000 remote islands. These now stand at the cusp of Japan’s rearmament and a new age of relations with China. Read More
Will Gaza Defeat President Joe Biden? By Emeritus Professor Dennis Altman AM FASSA — Analysis 13 March 2024Election prospects for Joe Biden are looking dimmer as the war in Gaza steadily worsens and the casualties of civilians increases. How will Americans vote on the Palestinian issue? Read More