The Lowy Institute

The one-percenters of strategic competition | Paul Pelczar

The one-percenters of strategic competition In football, players who don’t make the highlights shape the game – and the same is true of winning in the Indo-Pacific.

Marles says the seabed is a “battlefield”. But should militaries lead the fight? | Samuel Bashfield

Marles says the seabed is a “battlefield”. But should militaries lead the fight? | Lowy Institute The Shangri-La Dialogue produced real momentum on ocean cable security – but civilian fixes matter most.

At Shangri-La, Washington and Southeast Asia talked past each other | Hunter Marston

At Shangri-La, Washington and Southeast Asia talked past each other | Lowy Institute The Dialogue’s starkest divide wasn’t between Washington and Beijing – it was between Washington and its own partners.

China, centre stage | Jennifer Hsu

China, centre stage | Lowy Institute The Xi–Trump summit revealed less about dealmaking than about Beijing’s quiet confidence – to anchor the system, not merely react to it.

The Pacific Defence Pact is the wrong answer to the right question | Takuma Matsu, Duncan Tchakalian

The Pacific Defence Pact is the wrong answer to the right question | Lowy Institute The Indo-Pacific doesn’t need a new treaty, but layered, mission-oriented cooperation that works when pressure arrives.

Critical minerals: The West is learning the wrong lesson from China | Katherine Teh

Critical minerals: The West is learning the wrong lesson from China | Lowy Institute Democratic governments are treating community consent as an obstacle to supply – just as China has worked out it isn’t.

Australia’s layered anxieties | Hangga Fathana

Australia’s layered anxieties | Lowy Institute Dependence, identity and regional belonging are deeper drivers of Australia’s approach to defence.

The WTO fish deal was an environmental first – but three countries could unravel it | Jim Redden, Peter Draper, Jameson Henderson-Redden

The WTO fish deal was an environmental first – but three countries could unravel it | Lowy Institute Stricter rules on illegal fishing are good news for the Pacific, unless India, Indonesia and the US block the agreement.

The Quad dividend for Australia and India | Shruti Pandalai

The Quad dividend for Australia and India | Lowy Institute The New Delhi foreign ministers’ meeting was more operational than declaratory – and for Australia and India, that shift is already producing results.

A small states solution to Southeast Asia’s food security stress | Hafiizh Hashim, Sufrizul Husseini

A small states solution to Southeast Asia’s food security stress | Lowy Institute As energy and food supply chains challenges converge, small states like Brunei are carrying more regional weight.