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lowyinstitute.bsky.social
The Lowy Institute
@lowyinstitute.bsky.social
960 followers 9 following 700 posts
The Lowy Institute is a leading international think tank that looks at the world from Australia’s perspective. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/
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lowyinstitute.bsky.social
The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 1h
“Closer India–Australia maritime cooperation is less about containment and more about reassurance and resilience,” writes Premesha Saha in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/india-s-rajnath-singh-canberra-turning-warm-words-shared-maritime-operating-model
India’s Rajnath Singh in Canberra: Turning warm words into a shared maritime operating model
Real-time information sharing and coordinated patrols would deliver tangible benefits to the Indo-Pacific, not just rhetoric.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 7h
“This treaty is not a loss of sovereignty – it’s a demonstration of how to exercise and bolster it,” writes Oliver Nobetau in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/png-should-ratify-pukpuk-treaty-move-beyond-self-limiting-mantra-friends-all
PNG should ratify the Pukpuk Treaty and move beyond a self-limiting mantra of “friends to all”
“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26
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lowyinstitute.bsky.social
The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 19h
“The EU desperately needs new markets and supply chains,” writes Henry Storey in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/europe-notches-early-win-indonesian-free-trade-deal
Europe notches an early win in Indonesian free trade deal
EU trade with Southeast Asia has been undercooked, but a recent agreement augurs well for others in the pipeline.
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lowyinstitute.bsky.social
The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 20h
“To Lam’s North Korea visit is telling of how Vietnam sees a role for itself in a more polarised world,” writes Khang Vu in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/vietnam-courting-north-korea-still-winning-western-friends
Vietnam is courting North Korea – and still winning Western friends
Hanoi’s multilateral approach lets it engage both Pyongyang and Washington, punching above its weight diplomatically.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 1d
“The proposal shows that Pakistan is willing to pivot from security dependence to economic diplomacy,” writes Saima Afzal in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/pakistan-s-pasni-port-pitch-washington-can-reshape-regional-rivalries-china-india
Pakistan’s Pasni port pitch to Washington can reshape regional rivalries with China and India
Minerals over missiles – at least, that’s the message Islamabad is sending.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 1d
“Exploring a tradition built on fatalism rather than historical fact” Read Marcus Colla in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/defence-darkness
In defence of darkness
Exploring a tradition built on fatalism rather than historical fact.
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lowyinstitute.bsky.social
The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 1d
“The use of realpolitik phrasing such as ‘sphere of influence’ plays badly in a region which is justifiably wary of any whiff of neocolonialism,” writes Sam Roggeveen in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/pukpuk-treaty-about-keeping-china-bay-not-military-strength
The Pukpuk Treaty is about keeping China at bay, not military strength
The pact with PNG aims to preserve Australia’s regional standing by making Chinese military access harder.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 1d
“Mines that trigger on touch are incapable of distinguishing between an enemy combatant or a kid chasing a ball,” writes Grant Wyeth in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/return-landmines-marks-darker-era-europe-world
The return of landmines marks a darker era for Europe – and the world
Countries withdrawing from the ban treaty shows how Russian hostility is forcing choices that undermine global norms.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 2d
“The Nobel Peace Prize can sometimes age poorly when political hopes collapse into disillusion,” writes Shamsa Ishfaq in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/what-2025-nobel-peace-prize-reveals-about-our-vision-peace
What the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize reveals about our vision of peace
Whether Trump or a Baloch activist, views of contenders show symbolic recognition often outlasts achievement.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 2d
“Moderate the message as much as you like in your third paragraph, but in the mind of readers across the world, only the headline matters,” writes Julien Oeuillet in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/taiwan-s-main-threat-isn-t-military-it-s-media-speculation
Taiwan’s main threat isn’t military – it’s media speculation
Every headline becomes a crisis, every policy shift becomes abandonment. Taiwan deserves reporting that resists speculation.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 2d
“Beijing effectively admits what its practice already reflects, that North Korea’s nuclear status is a fact to be managed, not a problem…” Read Seong-Hyon Lee in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/great-omission-clarifying-statement-north-korea-s-nukes
The great omission: A clarifying statement on North Korea’s nukes
A quiet but seismic shift in Beijing’s language reveals a new reality: China now treats a nuclear North Korea as a practical reality.
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lowyinstitute.bsky.social
The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 2d
“Treat route choice like a portfolio, not a coin toss,” writes Hamed Zakikhani in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-australia-can-navigate-long-term-red-sea-shipping-disruptions
How Australia can navigate long-term Red Sea shipping disruptions
Route volatility is squeezing grain exports and fertiliser imports, and there are no calm waters on the horizon.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 2d
“Takaichi’s hawkish, nationalist convictions could put thawing regional ties under renewed strain,” writes Tan Ming Hui in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/can-japan-s-first-female-pm-escape-revolving-door
Can Japan’s first female PM escape the revolving door?
Sanae Takaichi must revive Japan’s economy, restore LDP credibility, and navigate great power tensions – all at once.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 3d
“Rather than tax Indonesia’s tycoons and regulate their businesses more effectively, Prabowo seems more intent on cajoling them to support…” Read Hilman Palaon in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/prabowo-s-policies-won-t-fix-indonesia-s-problems
Prabowo’s policies won’t fix Indonesia’s problems
Heavy spending and top-down control are unlikely to rescue Indonesia from corruption, inequality and investor doubt.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 5d
“The international community must recognise that threats to democracy come not only from obvious authoritarians…” Read Juan Zahir Naranjo Cáceres in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/when-democracies-override-their-own-courts-australia-s-dangerous-precedent
When democracies override their own courts: Australia’s dangerous precedent
Parliamentary overrides in migration law offer authoritarian regimes a playbook for eroding judicial independence.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 5d
“If the goal is resilience, the next step is to secure trusted capacity where it already exists or is scaling fast,” writes Apoorba Banerjee in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/america-s-ev-plan-needs-southeast-asia-more-it-admits
America’s EV plan needs Southeast Asia more than it admits
Unless the US wants to pay more and wait longer, it should secure trusted capacity from non-Chinese supply chains.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 5d
“The program still has a chance to succeed, but only if Jakarta slows down, builds the rules before expanding, and places quality above coverage,” writes Ronny P Sasmita in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/indonesia-s-free-meal-ambition-when-policy-becomes-recipe-risk
Indonesia’s free meal ambition: When policy becomes a recipe for risk
Grand promises about feeding children have fallen foul of rushed implementation and ignoring lessons from abroad.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 6d
“Observers of Indonesia’s past COP campaigns note a recurring pattern: the projects presented often…” Read Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara and Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/indonesia-s-green-industrial-policy-ahead-cop30
Indonesia’s green industrial policy ahead of COP30
Jakarta is playing a balancing act between business wins and climate objectives. Can it work?
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 6d
“When it is eventually signed, the treaty will be a landmark agreement for both countries, and therefore any step that brought…” Read Blake Johnson in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/delays-pukpuk-treaty-png-were-australian-missteps-not-failures
Delays on the Pukpuk treaty with PNG were Australian missteps, not failures
The Papua New Guinea agreement represents a landmark not just for its signatories but the region as a whole.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 6d
“The escalating hybrid war Russia is waging across Europe today is less a show of strength than a symptom of weakness,” writes David Kirichenko in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/when-trump-says-ukraine-can-win-back-all-territory-taken-russia-he-s-not-wrong
When Trump says Ukraine can win back all territory taken by Russia, he’s not wrong
Relentless strikes on Russian infrastructure are raising the costs of war beyond what the Kremlin can sustain.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 7d
“If the standards are written offshore, every Australian AI-enabled system comes with an invisible leash. That leash is strategic dependence…” Read Ian Gribble in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-s-ai-choice-standards-setter-or-technology-taker
Australia’s AI choice: Standards setter or technology taker?
If Australia adopts artificial intelligence built to foreign specifications, we tacitly accept an invisible leash.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 7d
“A total internet blackout in Afghanistan does more than disrupt communication – it cruels the economy,” writes Humayoon Babur in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/when-taliban-switches-internet-afghanistan-disappears
When the Taliban switches off the internet, Afghanistan disappears
Cutting Afghanistan off from the world shows how the Taliban prioritises control over the welfare of millions already suffering.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 7d
“The armed forces now view China’s threat to Taiwan and its increasingly assertive actions in the West Philippine Sea as interconnected problems,” writes Frances Mangosing in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/manila-s-lonely-island-centre-taiwan-contingency-planning
Manila’s lonely island at the centre of Taiwan contingency planning
At the Philippines’ northernmost point, troops guard waters that could determine Taiwan’s fate.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 7d
“The time has come for the Australian government to define an Australian Model for conflict prevention, encompassing and…” Read William Leben and Martina Zapf in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australian-conflict-prevention-statements-strategy
Australian conflict prevention – from statements to strategy?
Australian tunnel vision on potential China–US conflict may blind us to pressing risks closer to home.
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 8d
“The TikTok battle extends far beyond Washington and Beijing. The Asia-Pacific region is the beating heart of the platform’s user base,” writes Akhmad Hanan in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-trump-s-14-billion-tiktok-tug-war-affects-asia
How Trump’s $14 billion TikTok tug-of-war affects Asia
With Western nations cracking down on the wildly popular app, does Beijing have its sights set on the developing markets?
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