Politics

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center, welcomes Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to Beijing in 2016. Accusations of espionage and political meddling have brought ties to their "lowest level."
International relations

China interfered in Australian politics -- secret probe

Investigation ordered by Turnbull revealed decade-long infiltration campaign

29 May 2018
A woman browses for wine in China's Jiangsu Province. Australian wine producers look to increase exports to China after Beijing raised tariffs on U.S. vintages.
Trade war

Australia faces a double-edged sword amid US-China trade standoff

Wine exports set to flow, but iron ore and pork sectors wary of rising tensions

27 May 2018
Stream article image
International relations

Protectionism left out of APEC trade ministers' statement

Members call for 'removal of market-distorting subsidies'

26 May 2018
Military personnel take part in the Locked Shields 2018 cyberdefense exercise in Tallinn, Estonia, in April. (Photo courtesy of CCDCOE)
International relations

Big three cyberthreats bring Asia-Pacific and NATO allies closer

Russian, Chinese and North Korean hackers spur global countermeasures

24 May 2018
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, called on Australia to take a friendlier outlook on China after meeting with counterpart Julie Bishop on Monday.
International relations

China hits back as Australia alleges domestic meddling

Foreign infrastructure investment down under faces national security restrictions

23 May 2018
Japanese Prime Minister greets his Samoan counterpart Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi at a two-day summit in the northern Japanese city of Iwaki on May 18-19. The Pacific Island nation is one of several that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing rather then Taipei.
International relations

Taiwan looks to Japan to protect its Pacific interests

Tokyo walks fine line in struggle for influence between Beijing and Taipei

22 May 2018
British Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland has been gathering information on North Korean smugglers in waters near Japan since early May.
International relations

Japan gains help in crackdown on North Korean smugglers at sea

Australia, Canada and UK join surveillance of ship-to-ship transfers

22 May 2018
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, center left and right. Leaders from Pacific Island nations have gathered in Japan for a summit held every three years. (Pool photo)
International relations

Japan enlists Pacific Islands for help on North Korea

Abe seeks cooperation on stopping smuggling ships and curbing China's influence

19 May 2018
Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. says the island nation will under no circumstances cut ties with Taiwan on his watch.
International relations

Taiwan relations unchanged despite Chinese pressure: Palau president

The island duo share values and principles, Tommy Remengesau says

18 May 2018
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered a review on allowing dual citizenship in a crisis that has brought down more than a dozen parliamentarians.
Politics

Referendum proposed in Australian lawmakers' citizenship crisis

Over a dozen parliamentarians have been brought down by constitution barring dual status

17 May 2018
East Timor independence icon and former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao appears at his National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction party headquarters shortly after voting closed. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

East Timor hero Gusmao unseats government in election

Southeast Asian nation looks for stability after year under minority coalition

14 May 2018
Voters queue at a polling station in Dili several hours after the 7 a.m. start of voting in the May 12 parliamentary elections. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

East Timor votes in second general election in 10 months

PM of short-lived previous government confident; voters hope for stability

12 May 2018
East Timorese are set to vote in parliamentary elections on May 12.
International relations

East Timor heads for election after bad-tempered campaign

Vote comes after landmark maritime boundary deal with Australia

10 May 2018
Ministers from the 16 negotiating members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership meet in Manila, Philippines in September 2017. The path to an agreement remains fraught.
Economy

Clashing visions keep sweeping trade pact elusive for Southeast Asia

Countries advocate alternatives as protectionist and free-trade camps remain deadlocked

26 April 2018
Getting U.S. President Donald Trump to listen is the right step toward averting fallouts from his trade war with China.
Opinion

Asia must start talking trade with Trump

Other countries cannot just sit out a US-China economic war

24 April 2018
Delegates from the remaining members of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) attend the TPP meeting in Tokyo on Nov. 21 in 2017. (Photo by Masayuki Terazawa)
Economy

TPP members eager to proceed without Trump, says APEC boss

Bollard warns U.S. re-entry could slow momentum of trade pact

20 April 2018
The Damascus skyline is lit up by missile fire as the U.S. launches air strikes targeting chemical weapons facilities.
19 April 2018
The Damascus skyline is lit up by missile fire as the U.S. launches air strikes targeting chemical weapons facilities.
International relations

Syria strikes cast shadow over North Korea denuclearization talks

U.S. actions draw mixed reactions while experts appear divided on effect

15 April 2018
The serious response by Asian regulators indicates how the region is waking up to the reality that Facebook's data-handling practices may have had far-reaching effects beyond the U.S.
12 April 2018
The University of Sydney: Australia has welcomed a rapidly growing number of students from China in recent years.
International relations

Australia sounds the alarm over Chinese 'interference'

Critics say Beijing is influencing politics and stifling criticism Down Under

11 April 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hold a press conference at the White House on Feb. 23.
The Big Story

Identity crisis: Australia seeks new allies amid US-China rivalry

Trade and security links make Southeast Asia a natural choice

11 April 2018
The serious response by Asian regulators indicates how the region is waking up to the reality that Facebook's data-handling practices may have had far-reaching effects beyond the U.S.
Facebook

Facebook faces fresh scrutiny in Asia over massive data leak

Potential fallout could be huge in a region with over 800 million active users

7 April 2018
People fish on the Mekong River in Phnom Penh as the sun rises on.
International relations

Japan's Indo-Pacific push galvanizes Mekong region

Ahead of Hanoi summit, regional experts urge more coordination between powers

29 March 2018
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, left, and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull shake hands at a joint press conference in Sydney on March 16.
Politics

Richard Heydarian: Australia is right to move closer to ASEAN

Closer ties with the bloc can help counter US- and China-related risks

29 March 2018
A worker checks a machine in the underground equipment workshop at BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine in South Australia.
Trade war

Trump's tariffs 'regrettable,' says BHP Billiton chief

Mackenzie warns US measures risk sparking trade war

23 March 2018