Posted: 8:00 am on 28th March 2012
The Washington Post yesterday reported that Australia and the US are considering expanded military ties as America shifts its strategic focus towards Southeast Asia: The talks are the latest indicator of how the Obama administration is rapidly turning its strategic attention to Asia as it winds down a costly decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. government is finalizing a deal to station four warships in Singaporeand has opened negotiations with the…
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Posted: 4:44 pm on 17th November 2011
In the most recent edition of Foreign Policy magazine, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined her vision for ‘America’s Pacific Century.’ “At a time when the region is building a more mature security and economic architecture to promote stability and prosperity, U.S. commitment there is essential.” A few weeks on, President Barack Obama has left little doubt about America’s new strategic direction (or ‘pivot’ in the latest parlance): America…
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Posted: 1:38 pm on 17th November 2011
America’s future lies in the Asia-Pacific and the US will play a leading role in shaping the region. “Let there be no doubt, in the Asia-Pacific in the 21st century, the United States of America is all in,” Barack Obama said at the joint sitting of Parliament this morning. With the current ramping up of US involvement in the region, it is interesting to listen to a recent CIS lecture…
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Posted: 1:14 pm on 29th August 2011
The Sydney Morning Herald today reports that China and Taiwan are locked in a battle to buy influence in the tiny Pacific state of Nauru (best known for phosphate and an infamous detention centre). Taiwan is reportedly providing monthly $5000 ‘stipends’ to Nauruan politicians in exchange for their continued support, while China is distributing funds to citizens in the hoping of swaying their voting intentions. Make no mistake, this is…
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