After years of serving in and observing Russia from afar, a former diplomat explains the importance of understanding and respecting the nation and its leadership for what it is today and the prospects for East-West detente. 

How well did former diplomat Sir Keith Waller measure up against the three duties of the diplomat outlined by Arthur Balfour and the dictum of Talleyrand? An extract from his biography explains.

The lesson of a decade's state capture in South Africa may be that institutions are only as good as the people who respect them in letter and in spirit—and citizens and organised civil society should not limit active participation in political processes only to election time.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has retorted that his war on drugs "will not stop" despite the International Criminal Court's investigation into extrajudicial killings related to the campaign. Is raising the profile of alleged crimes to the international level enough?

There is nothing new about sports diplomacy nor anything genuine about North Korea’s attempts to build bridges with its sworn enemies. Dictators, it has to be remembered, love sport just as much as everybody else.

The university sector was alarmed last week when news broke that the Chinese Embassy was urging all Chinese students in Australia to protect their safety. Was it a veiled threat? And if yes, how vulnerable are universities to international frictions? 

China's hold over large enterprises allows it to manipulate Chinese companies to align with state interests. It gives China the rare ability to use economic power as an instrument of statecraft. Australia and others must learn to respond effectively.

Cyber security is now paramount to national security. It is no surprise, then, that China has incorporated sophisticated psychological, public opinion and legal warfare approaches into its international cyber activities.

For half a century, strategic ambiguity about the application of ANZUS to Taiwan served Australia well in its relations with China. Is it time to apply this policy more broadly?

Australia has openly declared its commitment to protecting and endorsing universal human rights, but it does not seem to be fulfilling all its obligations. There are some simple steps that could help.