Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper continues to provide the policy framework for the aid program. Australia’s Pacific ‘step-up’, one of the priority initiatives under this framework, gathered momentum in 2018 with a range of new government commitments, including strengthened security cooperation and increased financing for infrastructure.

Prime Minister Modi’s 2019 Manifesto may be read as a report of his government’s progress, or progress yet to be made. It is effectively a continuation of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 2014 Manifesto promises, communicated for the current election in practical terms rather than the earlier visionary language of persuasion.

This report finds that the concept of “soft power” is an overrated explanation for Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands. The buzzword often disguises more than it reveals about Chinese influence in Australia’s nearest region.

Australia’s new Pacific policy is set in place, no matter which side wins the May 18 election. On Pacific policy, Labor and Liberal entered the election with a unity ticket that ASPI calls the Pacific pivot. In this report, ASPI examines the origins and aspirations of the policy.

The 8th World Summit Report offers insight into the knowledge, experience and perspectives shared by participants and details the conversations that took place during the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture, Kuala Lumpur from 11-14 March 2019. It also presents the issues that participants identified as key areas that require action from the international...