Shenanigans in the Solomons

Reassuring words from Manasseh Sogavare, the Prime Minister of the Solomons Islands, shouldn’t blind Australian policy makers from his worrying actions to subvert democracy and cosy up to the Chinese.

The travails of Taiwan

As with Vladimir Putin’s horrific invasion of Ukraine, Xi Jinping’s violently aggressive actions in the past few days against Taiwan – and Japan – clearly reveal China’s true nature and intentions.

China in the South Pacific

Beijing is moving at high speed to co-opt South Pacific states economically and then use that leverage to achieve broader goals, including the ability to project military power across the Indo-Pacific.

Being banned from hell is no dishonour

Being banned by Russia is a mark of honour, given the thuggish barbarity of its poisonous regime.

China’s shadow falls across the Pacific

The mollifying words coming out of Beijing cannot mask the acceleration of its plan to establish ever greater political, economic and military power across the South Pacific.

Close encounters of the PLA kind

The Chinese armed forces routinely harass the planes and ships of other nations as part of the Chinese Communist Parties wider campaign of intimidation and force projection.

Australia needs a larger defence force

Australia’s defence force needs bolstering to handle the rolling natural disasters and humanitarian crises it is called upon to tackle, as well as a deteriorating international scene.

Djibouti shows what Sogavare’s deal with China entails

The President of the Solomon Islands is endangering his people’s individual and societal freedoms through his increasingly close partnership with Beijing and its repressive security forces.

7 lessons from Ukraine

While the West seemed content to leave Ukraine to Putin’s wolves, spirited resistance and agile tactics have slowed and reversed the Russian advance, building momentum for increased international support and offering lessons for Australia’s armed forces.

Zelensky needs more than applause from Australia

President Zelensky and the heroes of Ukraine are fighting for freedom on behalf of us all, and they need real help to resist Russia’s band of thugs, vandals and murderers, rather than the usual mix of platitudes and empty gestures.

The tiger and the bear

Putin’s war in Ukraine, like Covid-19 and increased strategic competition with the US and other major powers, have both negative and positive consequences for the rulers in Beijing who harbour similar dreams of absolute power.

Words are worth something

The West continues to stand by and watch Russia’s desecration of Ukraine without offering direct military action, but at least the rhetoric of its leaders reflects the gravity of the situation and recognises the true nature of the threat posed by Russia.