Australia in the World

Australia in the World episodes:

• 04.05.2024

  Ep. 126: The international economic order—Past, present, and future

  In the second episode in a mini-series on international order, Darren is joined by Dr. Jenny Gordon to discuss the international economic order. Over the past 40 years Australia has arguably been the single greatest beneficiary of the post-war economic...

  
• 03.23.2024

  Ep. 125: Wang Yi visits Australia

  China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, visited Australia this week. The visit attracted a great deal of scrutiny, not just for the long list of issues in the bilateral relationship, but also Wang's meeting with former Prime Minister Paul Keating. Stephen...

  
• 03.19.2024

  Ep. 124: Ukraine, Gaza, and international order

  This episode is the first of a series of at least three that are linked by the theme of international order. Last year US Secretary of State Blinken said “what we’re experiencing now is more than a test of the...

  
• 03.09.2024

  Ep. 123: ASEAN in Melbourne

  A frenetic period of Australian diplomacy has wrapped up, after Australia hosted the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, which commemorated 50 years of Dialogue Relations. The ABC’s Stephen Dziedzic followed events closely and joins Darren to talk through the week’s...

  
• 02.25.2024

  Ep. 122: Indonesia, before and after the election

  Indonesians have voted for their next president, and while the results have not been finalised, Prabowo Subianto looks very likely to replace the incumbent Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Darren is joined by Aaron Connelly, Senior Fellow for Southeast Asian Politics and...

  
• 02.24.2024

  Ep. 120: Where to from ”stabilisation” in Australia-China relations?

  PM Albanese’s visit to Beijing has ended. Are Australia-China relations “stabilised”? And if so, what’s next? To discuss these big questions Darren is joined by Ben Herscovitch, his colleague at the ANU and author of the indispensable Substack newsletter “Beijing...

  
• 02.17.2024

  Ep. 121: Reviewing 2023; speculating about 2024

  Continuing a tradition of podcast, for the first episode back from a long summer break Darren is joined by good friend of the podcast Richard Maude to discuss what each learned from 2023, what trends were notable, and what we...

  
• 10.29.2023

  Ep. 119: When domestic policy is foreign policy (and the PM’s travels)

  The ABC’s Stephen Dziedzic joins once again this episode. PM Albanese is visiting China later this week, and Darren frames a new bargaining phase of the relationship, in which both sides (but especially Australia) must manage multiple, complex, and cross-cutting...

  
• 10.15.2023

  Ep. 118: A US perspective on Australia’s defence policy

  Almost six months have passed since the release of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR), and this episode Darren is joined by Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, for an American perspective on Australia’s defence policy. The conversation...

  
• 09.22.2023

  Ep. 117: Canada-India (emergency episode)

  In an 'emergency' episode, Darren is joined by Ian Hall, a Professor at the Griffith Asia Institute, to discuss the truly explosive revelation made this week by PM Trudeau of Canada that Canadian authorities are pursuing allegations linking agents backed...

  
• 09.20.2023

  Ep. 116: Australia’s international development policy

  The Australian government has launched a new International Development Policy, and Darren is joined by Bridi Rice, CEO of the Development Intelligence Lab, for a discussion of all things development through an Australian lens. The conversation begins with some Development...

  
• 08.22.2023

  Ep. 115: The domestic politics of AUKUS and Pacific security pacts

  This episode Darren is thrilled to be joined (for the second time) by Stephen Dziedzic of the ABC, perhaps the finest foreign affairs reporter in Australia and a dear friend of the podcast. While the episode commences with the premise...

  
• 08.07.2023

  Ep. 114: And we’re back. Australia-China; US-China

  It’s time to resume, or start again. A lot has happened in the past four months, and Darren focuses on two big stories, or relationship trajectories: Australia-China, and US-China. Both might be trending in positive directions, but there have been...

  
• 05.06.2023

  Allan Gyngell and Australia in the world

  Allan Gyngell passed away on 3 May 2023. Darren talks about the past few weeks, and reads a short piece he wrote for the AIIA about his friend, and the podcast they built together. Relevant links Darren Lim, “Allan Gyngell and ‘Australia...

  
• 04.03.2023

  Ep. 112: Cold War 2?

  In the wake of Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin, Allan and Darren ask – are we in a new Cold War? Is the concept a useful frame for understanding international affairs? We thank Walter Colnaghi for research...

  
• 03.19.2023

  Ep. 111: AUKUS plans; India; red alerts

  The members of AUKUS have laid out a more concrete plan for Australia to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability, and so Allan and Darren offer their views on progress to date, the merits of the overall plan, and what might...

  
• 02.22.2023

  Ep. 110: Ukraine, one year on

  Marking one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Allan and Darren reflect on what they have learned, what surprised them, and how they each are thinking about the path ahead. We thank Walter Colnaghi for research and audio editing and Rory...

  
• 02.11.2023

  Ep. 109: Balloons; FM’s UK speech; France 2+2; DM on sovereignty

  The “Chinese spy balloon” has dominated news for the past few weeks and thus Allan and Darren feel compelled to open the episode with their views. FM Penny Wong’s speech in the UK sparked controversy for her comments on colonial...

  
• 01.19.2023

  Ep. 108: PM in PNG; duelling ambassadors; reviewing 2022

  To kick off 2023, Allan and Darren continue their practice of asking how the events of previous year caused them to update their models of international affairs. But first they discuss PM Albanese's visit to Papua New Guinea and speech...

  
• 12.19.2022

  Ep. 107: Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts

  Allan and Darren welcome Tim Watts MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs. This is a new role—what does it involve, and how does it contribute to the current global ‘race for influence’? On a personal level, what has the transition...

  
• 12.14.2022

  Ep. 106: FM’s DC speech; 2+2s ; a polycrisis?

  Foreign Minister Penny Wong has delivered (yet) another speech, this time in Washington DC, and Darren thinks it’s a big deal. Is he overreacting? Meanwhile, Allan draws some interesting contrasts analysing the recent 2+2s Australia’s Foreign and Defence Ministers held...

  
• 11.19.2022

  Ep. 105: G20/Xi bilaterals; FM/DM speeches; midterms

  While the previous episode came after more than a month, this episode comes just a week later, with the G20 meetings setting the stage for a ground-breaking bilateral meeting between PM Albanese and President Xi, as well as Xi meeting...

  
• 11.11.2022

  Ep. 104: 20th Party Congress; export controls; Australia-Japan

  After a month away, Allan and Darren try to make sense of a big month of news. They start with the Chinese Community Party’s 20th Party Congress, where President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented 3rd term as leader, and (somewhat...

  
• 10.05.2022

  Ep. 103: Nuclear escalation; UNGA meetings; Track 1.5s

  Ukraine has made significant battlefield gains in the past month, changing the dynamics of the Russian invasion, leading to a partial Russian troop mobilisation and threats by Vladimir Putin of tactical nuclear weapons use. Allan and Darren talk through these dynamics,...

  
• 09.18.2022

  Ep. 102: A formal statement on China? Australia’s head of state

  In this episode Darren picks up on a comment Allan has made several times on the podcast (including the previous episode) about the need for the Australian government to make a formal statement on China. To Allan this is a...

  
• 09.01.2022

  Ep. 101: Taiwan

  Taiwan represents possibly the most intractable issue in international affairs, but also one of the most important. Arguably, no theory or opinion on the biggest questions Australian foreign policy can be complete, or maybe even credible, until it grapples with...

  
• 08.16.2022

  Ep. 100: Foreign Minister Penny Wong

  For the 100th episode of Australia in the World, Allan and Darren welcome Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong. Allan begins by asking the Minister “why this job?” given her heavy additional responsibilities, and how she is able to...

  
• 07.18.2022

  Ep. 99: Much travel & many speeches; PRC meeting; PIF; Lowy poll

  Allan and Darren begin this episode by stepping back from a very busy first two months of foreign policy for the new government. If one were to build a model of the making of Australian foreign policy, what could we...

  
• 06.20.2022

  Ep. 98: A (very) busy first few weeks

  The new Labor government has begun its term with a whirlwind of activity for Australia in the World. Allan and Darren begin their analysis with the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where Defence Minister Richard Marles gave his first major speech...

  
• 05.28.2022

  Ep. 97: Incoming government brief, 2022 edition

  With Australia's federal election results (mostly) known and a new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister sworn in, Allan and Darren examine the meaning of the election and what lies ahead for Australia in the world. As they first discussed in...

  
• 05.18.2022

  Ep. 96: Campaign foreign policy lessons; AUKUS leaks?

  With Australia’s federal election to be held this Saturday, Allan and Darren conduct a quick discussion of the role foreign policy has played over the past month during the campaign, and what we can learn regardless of who will form...

  
• 04.24.2022

  Ep. 95: Solomon Islands and China enter a security pact

  Foreign policy has been thrust to the forefront of the Australian election campaign, with the announcement this week that Solomon Islands and China have officially signed a security agreement. Allan and Darren talk through the background, logic, politics and implications...

  
• 03.24.2022

  Ep. 94: Pre-election foreign policy speeches by Morrison and Albanese

  Both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese delivered pre-election foreign policy speeches this month, and this episode analyses them together. Relevant links “An address by PM Scott Morrison”, Lowy Institute, 7 March 2022: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/address-prime-minister-scott-morrison Scott Morrison, “Virtual address,...

  
• 03.06.2022

  Ep. 93: The invasion of Ukraine and updating priors

  With the world watching in shock at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Allan and Darren describe how the crisis, and in particular the world’s response, are (and are not) causing them to reconsider their priors about how politics and international affairs...

  
• 02.21.2022

  Ep. 92: Our own foreign policy election “debate”

  Australia will have a federal election in a few months, but Allan and Darren are sceptical that substantive foreign policy debates will feature during the campaign. Accordingly, this episode they decide to have their own debate to try to help...

  
• 01.29.2022

  Ep. 91: Ukraine

  Allan and Darren venture far outside their comfort zones this week to give some thoughts on the escalating crisis between Russia, Ukraine and NATO. This is an interesting and important issue because it brings together so many of the central...

  
• 01.13.2022

  Ep. 90: Lessons from 2021; expectations and hopes for 2022

  For their first episode in 2022, Allan and Darren look back over the past 12 months, starting with the international landscape and then focusing on Australia. First up, what big lesson did 2021 teach them? Interestingly, both focus on the...

  
• 12.16.2021

  Ep. 89: Democracy summit; S. Korea visit; Olympic boycott; communicating foreign policy

  In their final episode for 2021, Allan and Darren kick things off by discussing President Biden’s “Summit for Democracy”. Having debated the merits of democracy as a foreign policy organising principle in Episode 77, they now ask: was the actual...

  
• 12.01.2021

  Ep. 88: Biden/Xi; Dutton/Wong; COP26; Solomon Islands

  This week Allan and Darren open their discussion with the Biden-Xi virtual meeting. It went for a long time, the atmosphere seemed cordial – is this enough for (some) optimism about the trajectory of US-China relations? Allan thinks so, while...

  
• 11.08.2021

  Ep. 87: On truth and trust in diplomacy (Morrison vs Macron)

  Allan and Darren cannot resist focusing on the escalated and seemingly personal spat between Australian PM Scott Morrison and French President Emmanuel Macron over Australia’s cancellation of the French submarine contract, then followed by the launch of AUKUS. During Morrison's...

  
• 10.28.2021

  Ep. 86: Global Trends 2040 (Part 2), with Heather Smith and Katherine Mansted

  In the second half of their conversation arising out of the US National Intelligence Council publication “Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World”, Allan and Darren, along with guests Heather Smith and Katherine Mansted, turn to remaining sections. Section 2 of...

  
• 10.25.2021

  Ep. 85: Global Trends 2040 (Part 1), with Heather Smith and Katherine Mansted

  In a double episode recorded on Thursday 14 October, Allan and Darren welcome the ANU National Security College's Heather Smith and Katherine Mansted to talk about the future. The basis of their discussion is the publication “Global Trends 2040: A...

  
• 10.08.2021

  Ep. 84: AUKUS revisited; Quad leaders; China & CPTPP; Taiwan

  This week Allan and Darren begin by resuming their discussion of AUKUS. With the decision now a few weeks old, have their minds changed? How are they seeing the debate evolving? What have been some of the more interesting contributions?...

  
• 09.21.2021

  Ep. 83: Debating AUKUS—Deterrence, sovereignty and risk

  The announcement of a new trilateral security partnership, AUKUS (Australia, UK and US), is a major event in the history of Australian foreign policy. Australia is planning to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, scrapping a contract with the French to build conventional...

  
• 09.10.2021

  Ep. 82: Afghanistan evacuation; US alliance at 70; ministerial meetings; 9/11 reflections

  Allan and Darren begin this episode reviewing the frenzied two-week evacuation from Afghanistan. A logistical success or further evidence of a terrible failure? Do the events of the evacuation, which included an ISIS-K suicide bombing and a drone strike that...

  
• 08.28.2021

  Ep. 81: Gary Quinlan (Part 2): Australia-Indonesia relations, ASEAN, and the future of multilateralism

  This second half of the discussion begins with Australia-Indonesia relations. How does Indonesia see Australia? How much do the views expressed by President Widodo in a speech to the Australian Parliament reflect broader opinions among Indonesia’s elite? Darren chimes in...

  
• 08.25.2021

  Ep. 80: Gary Quinlan (Part 1): On Indonesia in the world, and diplomacy in a time of COVID-19

  In a conversation recorded on Thursday 5 August, Allan and Darren welcome Gary Quinlan to the podcast. Gary’s career in Australian foreign policy can only be described as stellar, having worked at the top of each of its three pillars:...

  
• 08.18.2021

  Ep. 79: Afghanistan

  On Sunday the 15th August the Taliban took control of Kabul, capping an astonishingly rapid takeover of Afghanistan. In this emergency episode, Allan and Darren try to make sense of these events, analytically but also on a more personal level....

  
• 07.24.2021

  Ep. 78: New DFAT Secretary; Exchange hack and Pegasus; APEC; return to Afghanistan?

  Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a new Secretary, Kathryn Campbell. Darren uses the occasion to build a theoretical model of the position, positing that the ideal candidate would fulfil four roles: administrator, consigliere, strategist and diplomat. Allan...

  
• 07.01.2021

  Ep. 77: Debating democracy and the “competition of systems”

  In an episode recorded on 24 June, Allan and Darren take a step back from the news to discuss an emerging theme in international affairs: the competition of systems, which arrays liberal democracies against various types of authoritarianism, with the...