17 Nov 2022
Economic diplomacy: Charging up old ties with Jakarta
Australia has stepped up a trade diversification push despite the first moves towards reconciliation with China.
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24 Oct 2022
Where the chips fall: in containing China, the US can leave Australia out
Australia’s interest won’t be served by supporting US efforts to build a high fence around China’s technology industry. -
25 Sep 2022
A neck-and-neck election for the future of the internet
As the war in Ukraine goes from bad to worse, Russia may still win a vote to reshape the net as we know it. -
13 Sep 2022
Computational diplomacy - the science of an art?
Vast troves of historical data exist on negotiations and responses and agreements. The trick is a means to read it. -
5 Sep 2022
Web3 is coming – with national security implications, too
A new internet for the people and by the people is on the horizon. But decentralised power has its own problems. -
29 Aug 2022
Should democracies ever lie?
Is bending the truth sometimes necessary and justified in situations short of war? -
25 Jul 2022
An element of doubt? Rare earths targeted in disinfo campaign
Attempts to break China’s stranglehold on crucial materials for the digital age are targeted – where else but online. -
14 Jun 2022
Hyundai takes the driver’s seat in Indonesia’s EV market
With net zero emissions targets looming, Southeast Asia’s biggest car market is setting the pace on electric vehicles. -
7 Jun 2022
PNG’s elections: dangers that lie on social media
Facebook has a major reach in PNG, making the sheer volume of suspicious and inauthentic content online a big concern. -
26 May 2022
“Black ships”, the Quad and space
Satellite technology underpins the attempt to tackle China’s illegal fishing. -
18 May 2022
A required update for the EU-US Trade and Tech Council
As authoritarian challenges loom, more transatlantic cooperation on technology should be welcome news for Australia. -
29 Apr 2022
Musk’s Twitter: Tweet freedom for Asia?
The tech billionaire should brace for more than keyboard warriors in a world of authoritarianism and eroding democracy. -
1 Apr 2022
Ukraine: This isn’t the information war you were looking for
But watch a change in tempo for cyber operations as the on-the-ground military situation trends towards stalemate. -
24 Mar 2022
Economic diplomacy: Cryptocurrency (quietly) joins a new world order
From Bitcoin to the greenback, beyond Ukraine a battle is also underway in global finance. -
22 Mar 2022
China’s women “hold up half the sky”
Entrenched gender inequality and the heavy hand of censors can no longer silence female voices in China. -
16 Mar 2022
Social media in times of war
Ukraine offers lessons not only about disinformation dangers but opportunities for resistance and activism. -
8 Mar 2022
Women’s participation in peace mediation
Zoom diplomacy has become a vital conflict resolution tool. But where are all the women? -
7 Mar 2022
The hypocrisy of Russia’s push for a new global cybercrime treaty
The same Russia in the middle of invading a neighbour is preaching respect for state sovereignty online. -
24 Feb 2022
The election for the future of the internet
A battle for authoritarian control of the internet is underway at the most important UN body you’ve never heard of. -
14 Feb 2022
Military operations in a more transparent world
Russia’s Ukraine build-up is the latest example of how some information can no longer be kept secret. -
27 Jan 2022
Power plays: the growing competition to fuel energy transitions
Serbia’s decision to cancel a lithium mine in the face of environmental outcry underscores a modern economic challenge. -
11 Jan 2022
Kip-to-currency?
One of Asia’s tiny communist nations is looking at blockchain to fuel an economic boom. -
17 Dec 2021
China, Australia, and the Internet of Things
Australia must learn to manage, rather than avoid, the dilemmas of a global reliance on Chinese digital networks. -
23 Nov 2021
Regulating unmanned underwater vehicles in Indonesian waters
Deep sea drones are revolutionising marine science. But the military potential makes transparency essential. -
4 Nov 2021
Economic diplomacy: Supply chains, sanctions, and Telstra Pacific
From ports to productivity, the pandemic has only exposed longstanding economic resilience issues in Australia. -
4 Nov 2021
Regulate against the machine
AI is becoming a routine aspect of daily life, but can the law – and informed social policy – truly keep pace? -
22 Sep 2021
Digital authoritarianism not just a China problem
Surveillance technologies are increasingly used to track and trace. New global regulations are needed, for all players. -
20 Sep 2021
The law when putting autonomous military platforms on a shopping list
The fear of rogue killer robots looms large but legal questions go well beyond the pointy end. -
15 Sep 2021
Semiconductors: the skills shortage
Even in a digital age, people – engineers – are essential to manufacturing. But demand is by far outstripping supply. -
13 Sep 2021
Risks versus opportunities in national security thinking
Conventional security logic is undergoing a revolution that includes renewable energy. Australia needs to get on board. -
27 Jul 2021
The connectivity trade-off from social media misinformation
Countries of the Global South hold the greatest potential for new internet users. But also the spectre of violence. -
9 Jul 2021
China’s forced invisibility of LGBTQ communities on social media
A safe place for young people in China to discuss their sexual and gender identities has suddenly been silenced. -
8 Jul 2021
Staying ahead in global tech leadership
As US-China rivalry creates the prospect of competing technology ecosystems, practical measures will maintain an edge. -
29 Jun 2021
Hsinchu: Taiwan’s city at the centre of China’s conundrum
Semiconductors are the drivers of the digital economy. The US needs them. So does China. And Taiwan makes the most. -
7 Jun 2021
The authoritarian threat of Indonesia’s latest internet bill
Pending legislation would require online service providers to remove or block content by government demand. -
1 Jun 2021
Gab’s gift to the far right
Social media giants may be trying to squelch hate speech and conspiracy mongering, but alt-tech offers them safe space. -
31 May 2021
Is Southeast Asia ready for a US-China tech decoupling?
Some regional countries have sought to diversify. But this doesn’t necessarily mean choosing sides. -
27 May 2021
Can violent extremist content online be eliminated?
The Christchurch Call is an opportunity for change — but there is much more to be done. -
20 May 2021
Violent extremism: The ghost or the machine?
A parliamentary inquiry into violent extremism should call on tech companies to reveal their recommendation algorithms. -
13 May 2021
Indonesia responds to the cyber dark side
Australia will also benefit from practical bilateral cooperation to enhance Indonesia’s cyber security. -
6 May 2021
Economic diplomacy: Patent politics and trade deal twists
President Biden moves to suspend vaccine patents, RCEP ramps up, IA-CEPA gets a lesson and US dollar reserves tank. -
30 Apr 2021
Taiwan: Renewing a southbound vision
Increasing economic ties with Southeast Asia has been a success for Tsai Ing-wen. She should look beyond to India, too. -
29 Apr 2021
China’s leap into space
The newly launched space station has no crew as yet, but the invite list makes for plenty of speculation. -
22 Apr 2021
Economic diplomacy: Supply chains, ASEAN wanes, and Japan’s coal dump
Will government have to pick a winner for 6G networks to show the US and Japan as “global leaders in innovation”? -
21 Apr 2021
China’s Twitter trolls make bid for vacant Trump property
“Own the libs” obnoxiousness failed, but China’s social media diplomats haven’t all got the memo. -
19 Apr 2021
No surprise: Spying from space is a good thing
With countries all watching each other, there is less chance anyone is caught off guard – a deterrent to aggression. -
7 Apr 2021
In Singapore, Covid vs privacy is no contest
The pandemic has shown how easily most people accept surveillance, and the government’s enthusiasm for new forms of it. -
26 Mar 2021
Facebook’s monopoly danger in the Pacific
The social media giant’s move to “unfriend” Australia highlighted complex threats to information security in the region. -
24 Mar 2021
The greening of Bill Gates
The Microsoft founder has produced a solid primer for understanding the climate challenge. The next step is action. -
16 Mar 2021
Unpacking vaccine passports
Proof of Covid vaccination for travel is a reasonable expectation, but is tech the only answer?