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New home affairs department seems to be more about politics than reform
It is difficult not to give in to cynical impulses over Tuesday’s announcement that the government will create a department of home affairs. Described as a “federation of border and security...
Vietnam is a Promising Partner for the Trump Administration
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was the first Southeast Asian head of state — and the third from Asia (after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping) — to meet...
Missile defence for Australia? Expensive and probably not wise
Following the most recent tests by North Korea of a missile that might be able to hit Alaska, the prospect of a direct threat to Australia from the Kim regime is exciting the Australian defence...
How popular culture gets Australian spy work wrong
The cloak-and-dagger exploits of characters like James Bond and Jason Bourne have shaped our cultural idea of spy work. But these films, made mostly in the US and UK, have little to do with the...
Trump—channelling George Kennan, eight decades on
In his blustering, bumbling way, Trump may be fulfilling the long held ambition of George Kennan on the world order. And while the transition is risky, it may ultimately be for the best. To see why,...
Shangri-La Dialogue should address Asia's new strategic order
Each year, the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore provides a platform for Washington to affirm America’s strategic commitment to Asia, promote its policies to strengthen United States regional...
China v US: Who needs allies?
People often argue that America’s alliances in Asia are a decisive advantage in its contest with China for regional strategic primacy. China’s only ally, they say, is North Korea, while America has...
Angela Merkel declares independence, sort of
German Chancellor Angela Merkel might have just told the Frankfurt beer hall crowd earlier this week that ‘The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out’. But she didn...
Asean’s response to Chinese militarisation in the South China Sea? Keep quiet and carry on
As far as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is concerned, the islands in the South China Sea are rising but the sea is sinking. The outcome of the 30th Asean Summit last week in Manila...
Has ASEAN given up on tackling the South China Sea issue?
The outcome of the 30th ASEAN Summit on 29 April in Manila suggests that the Southeast Asian region has moved on from the disputes over South China Sea, despite the fact that no other issue more...
