ASPI hosted a conference on Maritime Confidence Building Measures (MCBMs) in the South China Sea, 12-13 August 2013 in Sydney. The objective of the conference was to develop proposals for prospective MCBMs for the South China Sea. This report includes speeches by Senator Bob Carr, then Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Professor Dr Hasjim Djalal...

Asian nations must recognize that distancing themselves from the United States will not necessarily win political rewards in Beijing. Deepening ties with the United States must remain a high priority for all of China’s neighbours.

The Philippines has had some recent success in winding down decades-long negotiations with rebel groups, but achieving peace with the country’s biggest insurgency, in Mindanao, requires both new energy and fresh thinking. Executive summary The future of thousands of fighters is at stake following an historic deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The...

This report examines the peace agreement that the Myanmar government signed with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the last of the eleven major armed ethnic groups to sign an agreement since 2011. Overview On 30 May 2013, the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) signed a tentative peace agreement with the Myanmar government – the last of...

This paper seeks to contextualise Australia’s bilateral relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and at a time when the potential for military conflict is escalating. It canvasses key milestones and events in the bilateral relationship from 1945 to the present. It argues that one of the key...