Economy

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, speaks as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese listens during a joint statement in Sydney on July 4.
International relations

Australia extends business visas for Indonesians

Leaders Albanese and Widodo promote economic ties at Sydney meeting

4 July 2023
Indonesian leader Joko Widodo's tenure has seen improved diplomatic and economic ties with neighbor Australia. (Source photos  by AP, Reuters and Getty)
International relations

Indonesia's Jokowi eyes EV lithium deals on Australia visit

Boosting trade in focus at meeting with PM Anthony Albanese

3 July 2023
True reform requires governments taking full responsibility for monetary and fiscal policy as well as bank regulation. Central banks should assume an instrumental role.  
Opinion

Australia's central bank review missed its mark

Real RBA reform is needed, beginning with a rethink of its independence

5 June 2023
China closed its doors to Australian timber imports in 2020 amid growing tensions over COVID-19.
Trade

China resumes imports of Australian timber in sign of thaw

Uncertainties remain over Beijing's restrictions on barley, wine and more

19 May 2023
A Lockheed Martin missile is showcased at a U.S. Army expo in Huntsville, Alabama in March: While America still leads in many areas of technological innovation, it is not the sole source of cutting-edge advances.
Opinion

U.S. technology controls fail to account for Pacific allies

Shift from outdated mindset needed to support collective regional security

15 May 2023
Australia posted a budget surplus of AU$4.2 billion for the year to June 2023, its first since the 2007-2008 fiscal year. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Economy

Australia budget surplus likely a one-off as spending surges

Canberra's finances face 'downside shock' after commodity price windfall

10 May 2023
The Virginia-class USS North Dakota is seen in this photo provided by the U.S. Navy. The United States intends to sell Australia three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines in the early 2030s.
Politics

Australia expands defense budget ahead of submarines purchase

Canberra lifts nuclear ambitions in light of China's growing heft in Indo-Pacific

9 May 2023
With her trip to New Caledonia and Tuvalu, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will have visited every member of the Pacific Islands Forum.
International relations

Australia foreign minister visits Pacific islands with eye on China

Climate, post-COVID economic recovery on agenda in New Caledonia and Tuvalu

20 April 2023
The Mt. Marion lithium mine in the Goldfields region of Western Australia: The country is home to the second-largest reserves of lithium. (Handout photo from Ganfeng Lithium) 
Opinion

Australia and Indonesia should forge business ties in lithium

Missing ingredient for Widodo's vision for EV sector is close at hand

3 April 2023
Container ships at the Port of Felixstowe in England. CPTPP members have agreed on Britain's entry into the grouping.
Trade

U.K. accepted as 12th member of CPTPP trade bloc

Group aims to finalize first nonfounding member's accession in July

31 March 2023
Chinese students gather for photos at the University of Sydney on July 4, 2020, after a graduation ceremony was cancelled during the COVID-19 outbreak. 
Economy

Australia banks on China tailwind as rate hikes threaten slowdown

Influx of Chinese students, tourists could help offset RBA's hawkish policy

20 February 2023
Syndey Opera House near the waterfront in 2021. Workers in Australia took more annual leave than usual in January.
Economy

Australia employment falls unexpectedly for second month

Jobless rate jumps to 8-month high of 3.7% in January

16 February 2023
Facial recognition technology is displayed at the 2019 Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, China: Dual-use technologies have prompted renewed debate about the ethical use of technology.
Opinion

Tech standard setting cannot be left to companies or lone nations

International effort needed to build digital norms around democratic values

9 February 2023
Expectations for Australia's wheat crop remain high despite concern about heavy rain during harvest season.
Commodities

Australia's bumper wheat crop cuts prices for hungry Asian markets

Imports by top consumer China more than double as shipping jam eases

21 January 2023
A coastal Sydney suburb. Australia's AU$9.4 trillion housing stock is worth more than four times the size of its gross domestic product.
Economy

Australia's huge housing market keeps central bank on knife edge

Test awaits in 2023 as inflation-fighting rate hikes put focus on mortgage servicing

12 December 2022
The world's first hydrogen carrier arrives from Japan at the Port of Hastings in Victoria, Australia, on Jan. 20: Hydrogen is not a new source of energy but a form of energy storage. (Handout photo from HySTRA)
Opinion

Japan and South Korea must recognize blue hydrogen is not clean

Even direct use of fossil fuels can involve lower greenhouse emissions

28 November 2022
In his new book, "The Lucky Laundry," Nathan Lynch examines Australia's role as a "major international hub" for laundering illicit funds.
Economy

Australia 'economically vulnerable' to money laundering: expert

Author says dependence on foreign funding makes it 'international hub'

15 November 2022
Shoppers look at produce at a shopping center in Sydney on July 27.
Economy

Australia looks to trim spending as slowdown looms

Government seeks to boost wages; planned tax cuts for top earners off limits

24 October 2022
As the race for talent heats up around the world, some experts argue the Albanese government will struggle to attract immigrants back to a country dubbed "Fortress Australia" throughout the pandemic for its hardline response to prevent the virus from hitting its shores.
Asia Insight

'Fortress Australia' seeks to become immigration nation again

COVID-induced labor shortages push Albanese to raise cap on migrants

18 October 2022
Australia had 69 major coal projects in the pipeline in 2021, according to the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Around 60% of these were greenfield developments.
Commodities

Price rally spurs Australian coal expansion, risks climate goals

Some miners have been using windfall to pay down debt, draw up growth plans

14 October 2022
Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Oct.10. He said Canberra is open to dialogue with Beijing. (Photo by Tomoyoshi Oshikiri)
Interview

Australia sees 'no prospect' of China being accepted into CPTPP

Trade Minister Don Farrell 'open to dialogue and engagement' with Beijing

11 October 2022
A competition for the best of the best workers is heating up across Asia, as governments and companies seek the talent they need to accelerate growth in the wake of COVID-19.
Asia Insight

From Singapore to Thailand, Asia dangles visas to lure high-fliers

New programs kick off as companies struggle to find skilled workers

4 October 2022
Workers in Singapore: Asian employers are more eager to bring people back to offices than Western companies, research suggests.
Coronavirus

From Singapore to Japan, workers get restless as offices call

Surveys signal clash between employer and employee priorities after COVID

19 September 2022
The Reserve Bank of Australia is in tightening mode as it attempts to tame inflation.
Economy

Australia raises key rate to 2.35%, hiking for 5th straight month

As inflation bites, RBA hints at more hikes and government lifts immigration cap

6 September 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity launch event in Tokyo on May 23. 
Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific nations to agree on better supply chain communication

IPEF draft statement for Sept. 8-9 meeting also includes push for clean energy

4 September 2022