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Who Cares If Duterte Skips the ASEAN-Australia Summit?
BY MARK MANANTAN, alumnus Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to skip the ASEAN-Australia commemorative summit did not come as a surprise. Despite the warm gesture extended by Australian...
Vietnam manages delicate balance between US and China
Donald Trump last week became the first U.S. president since the Vietnam War to have visited Vietnam during his first year of office, spending three days in the country during his inaugural Asian...
Even under Trump, US-Vietnam relations seem to be improving
Given how closely Barack Obama was associated with the deepening of US-Vietnam ties, the change of administrations in the United States inevitably raised questions about the relationship’s...
Francophone Africa is Australia’s Final Diplomatic Frontier
Francophone Africa is a relative unknown for many Australians, but as this group of countries begins to take its place on the global stage, Australia should take note. French-speaking nations make...
Turnbull Takes Part in Reinvigorated Pacific Islands Forum
Barring unforeseen circumstances – and these days perhaps one shouldn’t talk too soon – Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will fly to Samoa to attend the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting....
ASEAN and Australia beyond 50
ASEAN has achieved much in its 50 years, but it is currently perceived as underperforming and facing difficult challenges ahead. Australia, as ASEAN’s longest-standing partner, should support its...
Simplistic views of Indonesian Islam are limiting Australian diplomacy
A recent survey asked Australians to select words that best represent Indonesia. By far the most popular word was ‘religious’ (68 per cent), which subsequent focus group discussions revealed mainly...
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...
As RAMSI's costly Solomon Islands rescue mission ends, its gains may vanish swiftly
On Friday, one of Australia’s most significant, and expensive, foreign policy forays of recent times will come to an end. Over the last 14 years, more than $3 billion was spent on a tiny...
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,...
