Our war game simulations showed how vital it is to protect shipping routes across the entire ocean, not just in waters close to Australia.
- Director, La Trobe Centre for Global Security, and Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University
Both countries claim overlapping parts of the Gulf of Thailand with potentially lucrative oil and gas reserves. There is a peaceful path to resolve the dispute.
Access to open sea lanes is critical not just for economic prosperity, but for ensuring Australians can reliably access food.
Even before Trump’s return to power, Australia has been building stronger mini-groupings and bilateral ties in the region.
For Trump, meetings with foreign leaders are all about the performance. Albanese must be prepared for surprises – and stick to the script.
It might be tempting for Labor to continue a ‘small target’ when it comes to Donald Trump. But the new government needs the courage to ask difficult questions.
The US alliance will endure despite Trump’s efforts to upend the global order. But whoever wins the May 3 election must boost engagement with regional partners.
We need women in the military, including in combat roles. Without them, recruitment targets will fail. It’s not diversity, equality and inclusion: it’s reality.
Backed by the US, Australia has been increasingly asserting its power in the Indo-Pacific region. Has this strategy served it well?
From a lack of bipartisan support to other concerns such as rising cost of living, a complex array of reasons contributed to the Voice referendum’s failure in October 2023.
Southeast Asian leaders have made clear their priorities this week. Some want more focus on climate change than geopolitical competition.
There is growing evidence China is attempting to influence the election through disinformation campaigns, putting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy to the test.
Could the vote affect the way the world views Australia and potentially have an impact on Australia’s international relations?
Our research has found the ‘yes’ side has been generating the lion’s share of Voice content in the media and social media over the past six weeks, but is still trailing in the polls.
A ‘no’ result in the vote could compromise Australia’s moral authority when it seeks to advocate or pressure other states on human rights issues.
Yes23 is blanketing the nation in hundreds of ads, while Fair Australia is sticking with a singular message and targeting specific states that will ensure a ‘no’ victory.
The ‘no’ side is successfully engaging young people on TikTok by combining volume (posting multiple TikToks a day) with authenticity, use of personal narratives and humour.
The nation’s long-held desire to become an ASEAN member is at last moving - but exactly when and how it will achieve full membership remains unknown.
In the final episode of our election podcast, our regular panellists are joined by two expert guests to discuss what the election outcome could mean for domestic and foreign policy.
Judging by the campaign, and a bit of recent history, we can expect to see a Labor government pay more attention than their predecessors did to Indonesia – and Southeast Asia in general.
Whoever wins on May 21, protecting Pacific workers in Australia must be a policy priority, as temporary migration will continue to rise post-pandemic.
Despite a breakthrough on boundaries in the Timor Sea, the crucial question of how the shared oil and gas are to be developed remains unresolved.
A 2006 treaty governing the A$40 billion Greater Sunrise oil and gas fields has been a source of contention for a number of years.
A conflict over the maritime border between the two countries has considerable implications for Timor-Leste’s future security, and its viability as an independent sovereign state.
In terms of what is achievable, any foreign policy approach that does not account for strategic and historical realities is likely to fail.
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Website
- LinkedIn: Bec Strating
- X (formerly Twitter): @becstrating
- Article Feed
- Joined
