US distracted while Moscow and Beijing cosy up

The tense situation in US relations with Russia over the mass­ing of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and with China over an increasingly militarily threatened Taiwan confronts a domestically distracted America with the prospect of conflicts on two separate fronts.

Jakarta pressures Julie Bishop on Papua

Indonesia has asked Australia to caution its Pacific Island neighbours against interfering in the West Papua issue and to urge them to withdraw support for West Papuan membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, warning that the issue could pose a “stumbling block” to closer ­bilateral ties.

Asia Pacific: stability and strategic transformation?

The Asia Pacific continues to risk its most precious asset: the confident expectation that the region can preserve order and stability while managing a strategic transformation of historic proportions.