Blog
Oceania
Where Is Australia’s Drug-fighting Money Going?
By Meg Grealy
Australia's drug budget heavily focuses on law enforcement over harm reduction and prevention, underscoring the need for more balanced, effective spending.
How Can Australia Confront ‘Hostage Diplomacy’?
By Grant Wyeth
Countries that engage in hostage diplomacy implicitly recognize that the countries they target value the health and safety of their citizens.
This Year’s Pacific Island Elections Have 1 Thing in Common
By Kerryn Baker
In a busy year of Pacific Island elections, a worrying gender disparity is evident. This has implications for the quality of democracy in the region.
Energy at the Crux of Australia-Taiwan Relations
By Grant Wyeth
Australia effectively powers Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, and, in turn, powers its Silicon Shield.
New Caledonia Police Detain 11, Including Independence Leader, Following Revolt Against French Rule
By Associated Press
Those detained are suspected of having a role in the deadly violence that wracked the archipelago starting in mid-May.
Australia and China Are Making the Same Mistake in Papua New Guinea
By Carolyn Blacklock
While Australia and China have very different approaches in PNG, both are in working primarily with political elites, while alienating the New Guinean public.
China’s Premier Li Qiang Visits Australia: A Step Toward Stabilizing Relations
By Yu Tao
The four-day visit may lead to breakthroughs on specific issues, but more profound challenges, especially mutual skepticism and strategic competition, will remain.
Macron Suspends Voting Reform That Sparked Violence in New Caledonia
By Associated Press
Violence flared on May 13 over the government’s attempt to change voting lists in the French Pacific territory, which Indigenous Kanaks say would marginalize their voices.
China’s Message to New Zealand: Don’t Risk It All
By Geoffrey Miller
As Li Qiang visits, his chief purpose is to remind Christopher Luxon of just how important China is to New Zealand, both economically and beyond.
Despite the Diplomatic Thaw, Australians Still Deeply Mistrust China
By Elena Collinson
While political relations have improved, Australian public opinion on China remains generally negative.
Australian Online Watchdog Drops Federal Court Case Against X Over Stabbing Video
By Rod McGuirk
But eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is continuing legal action against the platform formerly known as Twitter in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
France’s Faux Pacific Power: The Colonial Reality in New Caledonia
By Jeffrey Reeves
In terms of France’s broader Indo-Pacific engagement, the strategic implications of the New Caledonia uprising are profound both for Paris and its Western-aligned allies.