It would help African countries to have a common position on the Ukraine war. This should be based on its impact on food and energy security in the continent.
The US’s negative attitude towards BRICS reflects its own weakening global power, especially its inability to isolate Russia in Europe and to contain China’s growing influence.
Treasurer Scott Morrison’s reason for rejecting the Chinese bid offers a radically different definition of ‘national interest’ but doesn’t say much about how foreign interests are defined.
“There is no such thing as the national interest,” I tell my first-year Australian foreign policy students. This tends to stop them in their tracks. After all, if there is no such thing as the national…