Blog
Oceania
Vietnam in the South Pacific: Dynamics for Strategic Cooperation
By Nguyen Minh Quang and James Borton
The recent visit of Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Australia and New Zealand sheds new light on the country’s post-COVID foreign policy.
Australian Economist Jailed in Myanmar Applauded in Parliament
By Rod McGuirk
Sean Turnell, 58, was arrested shortly after the February 2021 coup and spent more than 600 days in prison.
Liberal Party Losses Grow With Victoria Elections
By Grant Wyeth
The result confirmed that the Labor Party’s chief rival, the Liberal Party, is now deeply unpopular in the state.
Detangling Semantics: Has Australia Really Been ‘Hawkish’ on China?
By Grant Wyeth
To resist bullying is only “hawkish” if you sympathize with the bullies.
2 State Governments in Australia Block UN Visits to Prisons
By Dechlan Brennan
The gap between how human rights groups view incarcerated people, and how governments in Australia view them, continues to be wide.
Where is Bougainville on the Path to Independence?
By Dechlan Brennan
After seeing overwhelming support for Bougainville independence in a 2019 referendum, there is some frustration over perceived foot-dragging by PNG.
Australian PM Raises Trade ‘Blockages’ in Meeting With China’s Xi
By Niniek Karmini and Rod McGuirk
Anthony Albanese described his first in-person meeting with Xi Jinping as “successful” and “positive.”
Jacinda Ardern’s Asia Trip Rekindles New Zealand’s Independent Foreign Policy
By Geoffrey Miller
New Zealand’s independent foreign policy is back. That’s a key underlying message from Jacinda Ardern’s trip this week to Southeast Asia.
The Case for Pursing Trilingualism in Australia
By Grant Wyeth
It may be a massive leap for Australia to jump beyond its current linguistic lassitude, but the increasingly difficult strategic terrain requires Canberra to think big and be bold.
Is It Time for Jacinda Ardern to Head to the Middle East?
By Geoffrey Miller
Since becoming New Zealand’s prime minister, she has not attended a U.N. climate change conference, or visited the Middle East. She could do both by traveling to Egypt later this month.
Australian Health Insurer Says Data of All Customers Hacked
By Rod McGuirk
The Medibank hack, impacting 4 million people, was the latest in a string of high-profile data breaches involving Australian firms.
Murder of Indigenous Teenager in Western Australia Brings Despair, Deja Vu
By Dechlan Brennan
The murder of 15-year-old Cassius Turvey is not just a tragedy; “sadly, it is a pattern.”