Politics: News & Insights

The freighter Shinas Max carrying 400,000 tons of iron ore is berthed at Zhoushan Port in China's Zhejiang Province. China currently relies on Australia for more than 60% of its iron ore imports.

Commodities

China determined to build iron ore hub in Africa as Australia goes Quad

World's largest untapped reserve in Guinea could be online by 2025, expert says

31 March 2021

China continues to import Australian iron ore as part of its economic recovery push even as it imposes tariffs and other curbs on other Australian products.

Trade

Despite China feud, Australia resource exports to hit record by value

Soaring iron ore prices make up for friction in bilateral trade

30 March 2021

Aerial shots of the Rock Islands in Palau in 2015.

International relations

Taiwan and Palau set to open quarantine-free 'travel bubble'

One of Taipei's few diplomatic allies looks to boost COVID-ravaged tourism

27 March 2021

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, addresses his fellow Quad Leaders, top to bottom, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, from New Delhi on March 12. (Photo courtesy of Prime Minister's Office of India)

Indo-Pacific

Why Quad boosts India's vaccine diplomacy: 5 things to know

Group to make and distribute 1bn COVID doses to counter China's moves

22 March 2021

The Quad leaders on a monitor during the virtual meeting, pictured in Tokyo on Mar. 12: India's partners seem unfazed with India turning into a China lite.

Opinion

What the Quad misses about India is that it wants to follow China

The one thing most Indians agree on is Beijing-style authoritarianism

21 March 2021

Japan's NEC, France's Alcatel Submarine Networks and China's Huawei Marine had submitted bids for a project to connect Nauru, Micronesia and Kiribati with an optical cable. (Source photo by AP)

International relations

Bids by Chinese and other companies for Pacific cable no longer valid

US has warned that Beijing could use undersea infrastructure for spying

18 March 2021

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison participates in the Quad leaders meeting via video link in Sydney on Mar. 13: the biggest beneficiary was Australia.

Opinion

Quad leaders hand Australia a bigger stick to fend off China

Beijing's attempts to bully Canberra have been utterly counterproductive

16 March 2021

Politics

Australia sex assault protests pressure Morrison to deliver reform

Thousands join 'March 4 Justice' rallies as high-profile political scandals burn

15 March 2021

A police officer stands guard outside the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, two days after the March 15, 2019, shooting attack by a lone Australian gunman.

Terrorism

Two years after Christchurch shooting, far-right haunts Australia

New Zealand attack by Australian gunman exemplifies growing security threat

15 March 2021

A U.S. pilot sits in the cockpit of an F-16 Fighting Falcon during sunrise at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina. The leaders of the Quad committed to promoting a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law in the Indo-Pacific at the inaugural summit on Friday. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)

Indo-Pacific

The Quad comes of age: In pictures

Partnership has eye on China as it pushes for pandemic recovery

15 March 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, from the State Dining Room of the White House on March 12.

Indo-Pacific

A new dawn: Quad leaders vow to define the Indo-Pacific century

Working group to help develop tech standards; in-person summit planned this year

13 March 2021

Yoshihide Suga, Joe Biden, Scott Morrison and Narendra Modi -- the leaders of the Quad nations -- are stepping up their efforts to counter China. (Source photos by Reuters and AFP/Jiji)

Indo-Pacific

Quad tightens rare-earth cooperation to counter China

Japan, India, Australia and US to collaborate in tech, funding and rule-making

11 March 2021

Left to right, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, want to counter China. (Source photos by AP)

International relations

Quad leaders to agree on vaccine aid to counter China influence

Discussion will also touch on environment, Xinjiang and Myanmar

10 March 2021

The leaders of Australia, the U.S., Japan and India will meet online as early as next week for the first summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. (Nikkei montage/photos by Reuters)

Indo-Pacific

First Quad summit mirrors Biden's pivot to Indo-Pacific

Group of democracies converge as China expands defense budget by 6.8%

6 March 2021

A containership at Sydney's Botany Bay in October: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Australian exporters faced escalating Chinese trade restrictions in 2020.

Economy

Australia's GDP bounce defies China's trade pressure

Exporters find alternative customers as Morrison's COVID response pays off

4 March 2021

Qarhan Salt Lake has helped make China's Qinghai Province a major producer of lithium. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)

Climate Change

Who will be the battery powerhouse? China, Japan and the West compete

From lithium to assembly, a global dash is on to secure supply chains

2 March 2021

Australia and Facebook became locked in a standoff after the government introduced legislation that challenged the dominance of Facebook and Google in the news content market.

Media & Entertainment

Facebook to restore Australian news pages after legislation tweaks

Concession deal struck after a series of talks over the weekend

23 February 2021

Indo-Pacific

Quad vows to work with ASEAN and Europe in first Biden-era meeting

Foreign ministers commit to free and open Indo-Pacific with eye on China

19 February 2021

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak with counterparts from Japan, India and Australia Thursday. (Photo courtesy of the State Department)

Indo-Pacific

Blinken to meet 'Quad' partners Japan, India and Australia on Thursday

Foreign ministers to discuss free and open Indo-Pacific in first meeting in Biden era

18 February 2021

Cheng Lei, a Chinese-born Australian journalist for CGTN, the international branch of China Central Television, attends a public event in Beijing on Aug. 12. Cheng has been formally arrested in China on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, Australia's foreign minister says.

Politics

China officially arrests Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei

Canberra calls for 'basic standards of justice' for anchorwoman

8 February 2021

A helicopter launches during flight operations aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the South China Sea.

International relations

Quad group prepares 1st meeting of leaders to keep China in check

US, Japan, Australia and India to discuss cooperation for 'free and open Indo-Pacific'

7 February 2021

Asia Insight

Europe pivots to Indo-Pacific with 'multipolar' ambitions

ASEAN and other players welcome hedge against US-China rivalry

2 February 2021

Pro-Trump protesters enter to the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6.

Comment

Fears of extreme violence in US haunt world as Biden debuts

America could become epicenter of far-right extremism: experts

22 January 2021

Joe Biden stands with his nominees for his national security team on Nov. 24, 2020: the incoming Biden administration might be surprised to discover that U.S. alliances are in good shape.

Opinion

Biden will inherit healthy Indo-Pacific alliances

New president won't have to work too hard to repair US partnerships

10 January 2021

Huawei Marine has submitted a bid to lay the cable, which would improve telecommunications links to Micronesia and other Pacific island nations. (Photo by Matt Kieffer)

International relations

Chinese bids on Pacific cable raise alarm in US and Australia

Washington fears infrastructure will be used for spying by Beijing

3 January 2021