In this Lowy Institute Perspective, Visiting Fellow Hugh White examines why Australia needs a new defence white paper, outlines the proper aims of such a project and identifies the pitfalls that need to be avoided. He draws upon his experience in managing the development and drafting of Australia's 2000 defence white paper, arguing against any...

More Australians are now travelling overseas than ever before, and more and more are finding themselves in trouble abroad as a result. The Federal Government has put a strong emphasis on helping those Australians whose travel plans go wrong for various reasons, but recently there have been signs that this may have gone too far...

China and America may be at the start of a destabilising nuclear arms race, as China tries to preserve its ability to deter US nuclear attack in the light of US missile defences and nuclear system upgrades. That would undermine hopes that the US and China can build a stable cooperative relationship as China's power...

Most Australians agree that our country needs strong defence forces, but we are much less sure about what exactly we need them for. As a result we find it hard to decide what kind of military capabilities Australia should have. Today these decisions seem harder than ever, with little light being shed by acrimonious debates...