Launching a new chapter in Australia–Israel relations (Anthony Bergin, The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/launching-new-chapter-australia-israel-relations/

With Duterte dealing with China, Australia should offer advisers (Malcolm Davis, Anthony Bergin, The Australian, ASPI)

https://www.aspi.org.au/opinion/with-duterte-dealing-with-china,-australia-should-offer-advisers

The wattle and the olive: A new chapter in Australia and Israel working together (Anthony Bergin, Efraim Inbar, ASPI)

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/the-wattle-and-the-olive-a-new-chapter-in-australia-and-israel-working-together

Shaming Beijing over the Spratlys needs to be a green button issue (Anthony Bergin, ASPI, The Australian)

International law spoke two months ago on the South China Sea. But to date it’s not looking as though the ruling by the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague is having much strategic impact in the region.

https://www.aspi.org.au/opinion/shaming-beijing-over-the-spratlys-needs-to-be-a-green-button-issue

Whither the Pacific Islands Forum post-Pohnpei? (Richard Herr, Anthony Bergin, The Strategist)

The absence of Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama from the recent Pacific Islands Forum’s Leaders’ Meeting in Pohnpei wasn’t a surprise: he hasn’t attended a Forum Leaders’ Meeting since 2007. But taking away the commission of his stand-in, Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, while he was sitting in the absent PM’s chair at the Leaders’ Meeting was a surprise. So too was Fiji’s almost simultaneous announcement to withdraw support of the agreed legal text of the economic integration treaty PACER Plussponsored by the Forum.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/whither-pacific-islands-forum-post-pohnpei/

When it comes to natural disaster resilience, let’s not short-change mitigation efforts (Anthony Bergin, The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/comes-natural-disaster-resilience-lets-not-short-change-mitigation-efforts/

The forgotten actor in Australia’s counterterrorism plans (Anthony Bergin, ASPI)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/forgotten-actor-australias-counterterrorism-plans/

Lessons we can learn in coping with a mass attack (Anthony Bergin, ASPI)

The terrorist killings are becoming worse, and they’re killing in more gruesome ways to achieve the shock factor.

https://www.aspi.org.au/opinion/lessons-we-can-learn-in-coping-with-a-mass-attack

South China Sea: No way to save face in hiding from The Hague (Anthony Bergin, ASPI)

The South China Sea is becoming a Chinese lake, but Tuesday’s night’s ruling by a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration on The Philippines v China was a complete and stunning victory in favour of Manila.

https://www.aspi.org.au/opinion/south-china-sea-no-way-to-save-face-in-hiding-from-the-hague

A heavy defeat for Beijing: the South China Sea Tribunal ruling (Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

The People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already stated that the international Tribunal’s award in The Philippines v. China case is null and void and has no binding force. That’s no great surprise.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/heavy-defeat-beijing-south-china-sea-tribunal-ruling/

Ocean observations and trilateral cooperation (Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/ocean-observations-trilateral-cooperation/

Why media needs a counter-terrorism forum (Anthony Bergin, ASPI)

https://www.aspi.org.au/opinion/why-media-needs-a-counter-terrorism-forum

Australia needs to strengthen its strategic interests in Antarctica (Anthony Bergin, ASPI)

We sometimes forget that we assert sovereignty over 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent, roughly the size of mainland Australia minus Queensland.

So the Turnbull government's Antarctic strategy and 20-year action plan released this week is important. It responds to the essential elements of a report to the federal government nearly two years ago by Tony Press, a former director of the Australian Antarctic Division.

Press found the pre-eminence we've traditionally held because of our historic polar connections and scientific and diplomatic leadership can no longer be assumed.

If we're not a big player in Antarctic affairs then our polar agenda will be driven by others. There's now, for example, a risk of being left behind by China. China's setting up its first air squadron in Antarctica this year. Last year it announced it was preparing to build a fifth research station on the continent.

China's building a second icebreaker ship and has made it clear to domestic audiences that possible resource development is its interest in the region. It's expanding its fishing for krill in the Southern Ocean, the largest unexploited fishery in the world.

So, does the government's new Antarctic blueprint provide a useful framework to understand what we must do in the frozen continent or is it just a snow job?

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/opinion/australia-needs-to-strengthen-its-strategic-interests-in-antarctica

ASPI launches its Risk & Resilience program (Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

The aftershocks are now continuing to rattle the survivors of a series of deadly Japanese earthquakes with the death toll now at 48.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/aspi-launches-its-risk-resilience-program/

Greater effort needed to disarm terrorist bombers (Anthony Bergin, Jacinta Carroll, The Australian, ASPI)

Despite the fact that a significant number of Australian terrorist ­incidents over the past decade have involved explosives, chemicals used to make explosives, hoax bombs or the threat to use explosives, we are not prepared for a ­terrorist attack using explosives.

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/opinion/greater-effort-needed-to-disarm-terrorist-bombers

Citizenship loss provisions need expansion to counter terrorist threat (Jacinta Carroll, Anthony Bergin, The Australian, ASPI)

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/opinion/citizenship-loss-provisions-need-expansion-to-counter-terrorist-threat

The frozen continent: what’s news? (Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

Apart from the pictures of our Antarctic icebreaker Aurora Australis having run aground near Mawson Station, Antarctica’s been out of the news in the last few months.

Continue reading here ...

A vision in blue: Japan and the Indian Ocean (Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

Last week I spoke at the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Conference sponsored by the National Security College at the ANU and supported by the Embassy of Japan in Australia. I was asked to address the question of where Japan could contribute to maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/25444-2/

Australia’s fisheries diplomacy: about more than fish (Marcus Haward, Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

Fisheries are significant renewable resources for Indian Ocean and Pacific Island countries. They underpin food supplies, maintain livelihoods and assist economic growth.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australias-fisheries-diplomacy-about-more-than-fish/

Ocean economy is crucial to political and strategic relations (Anthony Bergin, Marcus Haward, ASPI)

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop introduced the idea of the blue economy in 2014 at a Perth meeting of senior ministers and officials from Indian Ocean rim countries.

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/opinion/ocean-economy-is-crucial-to-political-and-strategic-relations