Articles 

Economic diplomacy: Free trade disputes, WTO appeals, DFAT on China

By Greg Earl

A shortage of judges on the WTO trade court is bringing appeals to a halt, just as trade disputes are on the rise.  Read more

 
 

How Dangerous is the South China Sea?

By Dr Huiyun Feng

While territorial disputes in the South China Sea are hotly debated in international relations, they hold relatively little weight in the grand scheme of China’s security concerns.  Read more

 
 

Behrouz Boochani: Still in limbo

By Madeline Gleeson

The Kurdish-Iranian journalist left Manus Island after six years, but the bureaucratic hurdles still lie before him.  Read more

 
 

World diplomacy stocktake:
A shifting of the ranks

By Bonnie Bley

China has overtaken the US with the largest diplomatic network in the 2019 Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index.  Read more

 
 

Vietnam's Refugees and the Slave Trade

By Richard Broinowski AO

The discovery of 39 dead Vietnamese in a lorry in Essex is part of a wider, global network of people-smuggling. This incident also demonstrates the changing motivations of refugees from Vietnam.   Read more

 

 
 

Lebanon Protests: A New Generation Calls for Change

By Dr Vanessa Newby

The Lebanese protests have made significant ground and are sophisticated in nature. However, they also risk opening some of Lebanon’s old historical wounds.   Read more

 
 

Killing the Caliph Won’t Kill the Islamic State

By Kiriloi M. Ingram

The recent killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is indeed cause for celebration, however, leadership decapitation does not guarantee total defeat of the organisation. Kiriloi M. Ingram explores the dynamics which impact the potential for Islamic State to survive its current predicament.   Read more

 

 
 

Pacific Conference 2019 - Highlights

By Dr James Kember

In partnership with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the Pacific Cooperation Foundation and support from the University of Otago, the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs organised a one-day conference focusing on the influences and challenges facing the Pacific region.  Read more

 
 

Brexit: Will a General election Change the Game?

By Colin Chapman, FAIIA

Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party face three significant obstacles in their efforts to be re-elected, though none of these problems rule them out as potential victors.   Read more

 
 

Scandals Reveal South Korea's Broken Politics

By Christopher Khatouki

The scandal surrounding South Korea’s short-lived justice minister, Cho Guk, has brought to light the deeper sentiments of ordinary Koreans that only the rich and powerful can succeed. It also raises deeper questions regarding the efficacy of Korean politics and whether the entire political system may be broken.  Read more

 
 

11,000 Scientists warn: climate change isn't just about temperature

By Thomas Newsome and William Ripple

Exactly 40 years ago, a small group of scientists met at the world’s first climate conference in Geneva. They raised the alarm about unnerving climate trends.   Read more

 

 
 

Syria and the Shaping of Turkish, Russian and US Interests

By Ian Dudgeon

Despite heavy criticism of Trump and the US for abandoning the Kurdish forces, there are some cautious positives to the situation in Syria.  Read more

 
 

Impeachment Will Polarise the US Further, But Will It Dislodge Trump?

By Dr Andrew Gawthorpe

New revelations have emerged at a blistering pace in the Congressional impeachment inquiry.  Trump is unlikely to be removed from office but will emerge with significant political damage.   Read more

 
 

(Old) Challenges and (New) Crises in Latin America

By Dr Raul Sanchez Urribari

Recent civil unrest across Latin America is a result of institutional flaws which have consistently plagued the region. This could lead to long-term instability and even the erosion of democracy.   Read more

 
 

Navigating Economic Integration amidst US-China Strategic Competition and Rising Uncertainties

By Dr Karen Pitakdumrongkit

Over the past 52 years, ASEAN coined various initiatives which have contributed to regional economic integration. Against the backdrop of rising US-China strategic competition, is the organisation able to help the ASEAN member states further pursue their economic integration?    Read more

 
 

Connectivity with Consent: The EU in Eurasia

By Professor Sven Biscop

The search for connectivity is nothing new.  But the EU has realised that competition, not dominance, is the key to connectivity to today's world.    Read more

 
 

In the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Cyber Security and Great Power Politics

By Dr Ashok Sharma

Artificial Intelligence and cyber warfare are emerging as key components in great power rivalry. The international community needs to act fast to develop legal and political frameworks that can mitigate their deleterious effects.        Read more

 
 

Two Pacific states drop Taiwan for China

By Stephen Hoadley

Two Pacific states last week dramatically switched diplomatic allegiances from Taiwan to China, a shift with possibly wide-ranging implications writes Stephen Hoadley of  the University of Auckland.     Read more