The 2020 Lowy Institute Poll records unprecedented shifts in public opinion. Only half the country reports feeling safe — a record low for Australians. Our concern about a global economic downturn has skyrocketed. Optimism about our economic prospects has sunk to an historic low.

The United States Studies Centre has assembled a list of ten policy recommendations for the upcoming Australia–US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) meeting. Drawing on the expertise of our researchers, including from their published and ongoing research projects, these recommendations combine analytical judgements with new policy thinking in an effort to stimulate bilateral discussion.

This paper argues that it is important that India tries to bring ties with some of its neighbours in South Asia back on track. There can be no one way of dealing with China; a multi-layered approach is needed to deal with Beijing.

In the domain of international relations, as distinct from economics, ‘securitisation’ describes policy responses taken in response to problems that are deemed to impact on or be analogous with communal and/or state security.

This report analyses a persistent, large-scale influence campaign linked to Chinese state actors on Twitter and Facebook. This activity largely targeted Chinese-speaking audiences outside of the Chinese mainland (where Twitter is blocked) with the intention of influencing perceptions on key issues, including the Hong Kong protests, COVID-19 and Taiwan.