Australia foreign policy

Australia’s reliance on the U.S. has only grown deeper since 2000. But that may be about to change. 

Australia’s responsibility lies in being a prominent champion of international humanitarian law in concert with other like-minded partners. 

Australia has long aligned with the United States on sanctions. With Trump’s return, this is an increasingly dangerous approach.

Wong argued, “We have no option and no excuse but to find a way through our challenges today, immense and intractable as they are.”

A “whole-of-nation” approach to foreign policy would understand how each element of domestic policy is critical to enhancing the country’s overall capabilities and international power – including housing. 

Leading Australian thinkers assume business as usual with China in the event of war over Taiwan, but its regional neighbors may have different ideas.

Defending Australia's way of life, not just its shores, is a central objective of the new National Defense Strategy.

Australia must work a little harder to fully integrate itself as a member of the Indian Ocean community. 

Good design is a decentralized mechanism for international engagement. It is a soft power tool that can produce expanding effects.

Asking the question isn’t a sign of betrayal. It's indicative of an emotionally mature country that thinks seriously about its strategic circumstances. 

“Whole-of-nation” language carries a sense of urgency that the country’s economy, society, and public institutions must become more alert to their role in the international sphere.

All year there has been talk that the two nations will establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Could it happen before the end of 2023?

The past half-century has witnessed a remarkable convergence of interests between the two nations, and there is a promise of closer cooperation to come.

An elevation of relations is likely next year, when the two nations celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. But will it be matched by substantive developments?

Lee Hsien Loong's state visit was a reminder that Singapore has long been, and is likely to remain, Canberra's most "like-minded" partner in Southeast Asia.

Australia and Mongolia established ties in 1972, but their relationship began to pick up steam much more recently.

Bilateral relations have advanced considerably over the past decade, but Canberra can do a lot more to engage economically with Hanoi.

We are at the end of an era in which the "relationship with Beijing came to be the symbol of a new era in Australia’s outlook on the world."

Regardless of the government, Australia’s commitment to the Quad – and concerns about China – are here to stay.

With the election of a new Australian government, the chance to elevate ties between Hanoi and Canberra to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership is within reach.

The latest Lowy Institute public opinion survey found that the public feels less safe in 2022, due to China's growing power and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Penny Wong's trip is her second to Southeast Asia in the month since she took up the foreign affairs portfolio.

It is worth assessing if and how two of the Indo-Pacific’s most prominent middle powers might once again pursue creative and ambitious statecraft.

The challenges facing Australia are formidable. To navigate them we must accept our place at the heart of a shared region.