As workplace meetings move from offices to living rooms in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, what people say – absent nonverbal communication – is more important than ever.
Between trade and traditional security alliances, New Zealand is being pulled in opposite directions over China. A new foreign policy is urgently needed.
The US is taking an untraditional approach in its peace talks with the Taliban. The new deal does not contain many of the elements that are typically key to a successful peace negotiation.
Distrust of the US – even if misplaced – can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals. A former US diplomat in Iraq reflects on that country’s skepticism of US aid efforts.
Amid debate about China’s refusal of visa to two federal MPs, former PM Paul Keating denounced the media for ‘failing to present a balanced picture of the rise, legitimacy and importance of China’.
Data show that the US intervenes more in other countries’ affairs than it did in the past. It also currently hires fewer career professionals for ambassadorial or foreign affairs positions.
The government is trying to shut down backbench contributions in the name of the “national interest”, but it is more an exercise of attempted control in its own interest.
Whoever wins the election, Indonesia’s foreign policy, in which the nation does not align with any superpower and has an active role in contributing to world peace, will remain.
There have historically been few key points of difference on foreign policy during elections. Despite daunting challenges on the global stage, this year’s election campaign looks to be much the same.