In this episode of The Director's Chair, the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by The New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. They discuss the forthcoming US election and why he thinks Donald Trump is likely to return to the White House. They also talk about the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, AUKUS, cancel culture, and why he changed his mind about the risks of climate change. The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ X:@LowyInstitute@mfullilove Host: Michael Fullilove Producers: Darcy Milne and Andrew Griffits Research: David VallanceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Myanmar’s civil war has entered a crucial phase. While the junta remains firmly ensconced in the centre, a series of stunning victories by its opponents has severely diminished the reach of the military regime into the borderlands. A constellation of anti-junta forces has started delivering public services in “liberated areas” where they are in effect governing millions of people.  On Monday 20 May 2024, we launched the Lowy Institute Analysis paper, Outrage is not a policy: Coming to terms with Myanmar’s fragmented state, by Dr Morten Pedersen. The paper calls for international assistance for “parallel state-building”, focused on strengthening the capabilities of a wide range of emerging political authorities and community-based organisations to carry out traditional state functions.  This launch event was moderated by Hervé Lemahieu, Director of Research at the Lowy Institute. Dr Morten B. Pedersen is Senior Lecturer in International Politics at the University of New South Wales Canberra (Australian Defence Force Academy) and former senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Myanmar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the new episode of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. They discuss Kurt Campbell’s new role in the State Department, American policy towards China, the relationship between Moscow and Beijing, Xi Jinping’s recent visit to France, Dr Campbell’s aims for the AUKUS pact, and the things that make him optimistic when he looks at the world today. The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ Twitter:@LowyInstitute@mfullilove@DeputySecState  Host: Michael Fullilove Producers: Josh Goding and Andrew Griffits Research: David VallanceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is facing many economic problems, at home and abroad. The two are connected. Weak demand at home has contributed to a sharp rise in Chinese manufacturing exports, especially in green technologies such as electric vehicles. Surging Chinese exports have in turn prompted a backlash from the United States, Europe, and others who accuse China of exporting overcapacity and damaging their own green industrial ambitions. In this episode, Roland Rajah, Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre (IPDC), talks with Dr Bert Hofman, one of the leading international experts on China’s economy and a widely respected development economist and practitioner. They discuss China’s development model, the idea of “Peak China”, whether China is exporting overcapacity, what this all means for developing countries, and Bert’s ideas for what the world should be doing in response. Dr Hofman is currently an adjunct professor at the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore and before that was with the World Bank for almost three decades, most recently as director of the World Bank’s country office in China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Michel Barnier, Europe’s former point man on Brexit negotiations, speaks with Hervé Lemahieu. Four years on, what lessons should the West draw from Brexit? How united is Europe in the face of populism at home and with new challenges on its doorstep, including the war in Ukraine? And are China and Russia two faces of the same threat?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by UK Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy. They discuss David Lammy’s journey from cathedral chorister to the House of Commons, what kind of prime minister Keir Starmer would make, foreign policy under a Labour government, the UK’s relationship with Europe, China and the United States, how he was influenced by the revered West Indies cricket team of the 1970s, and how Australian manager Ange Postecoglou has influenced his beloved Tottenham Hotspur. The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ Twitter:@LowyInstitute@mfullilove@DavidLammy Host: Michael Fullilove Producers: Josh Goding and Andrew Griffits Research: David VallanceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Treasurer spoke on the domestic and international economy, and the government’s agenda to position Australia as an indispensable part of the global economy. After his remarks, the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove AM chaired a Q&A session with the Treasurer. The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP is the Treasurer of Australia. He has been the Member for Rankin in the House of Representatives since 2013. He served as Shadow Treasurer from 2019 to 2022, and Shadow Minister for Finance from 2016 to 2019. Prior to Dr Chalmers’ election to parliament, he was the Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer. He has a PhD in political science and international relations from the Australian National University and a first-class honours degree in public policy from Griffith University and is a qualified company director.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first episode of this new series of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by respected Australian journalist Leigh Sales. They discuss Leigh’s experience as a foreign correspondent in Washington, the shifts in American society that led to the rise of Donald Trump, why she still believes that journalists should be impartial — and she shares her reading and viewing recommendations. Leigh Sales is host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Australian Story. She is a former host of the national broadcaster’s flagship current affairs program, 7.30, served as the ABC’s chief Washington correspondent and is the host of her own successful podcast called Chat 10 Looks 3. The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ Twitter:@LowyInstitute@mfullilove Host: Michael Fullilove Producers: Josh Goding and Andrew Griffits Research: David VallanceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, the Lowy Institute’s Research Director Hervé Lemahieu talks with Ryan Neelam, the Institute’s Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program about the findings of the recently launched 2024 Global Diplomacy Index. What do diplomatic networks tell us about superpower rivalry, geopolitical competition, and a more multipolar world order? How do nations use diplomacy to build influence, and where are they targeting their investments? What does Australia’s relative underinvestment in diplomacy mean for its ability to advance its interests? In a broad-ranging discussion, Hervé and Ryan explore the often overlooked role of diplomacy in shaping the modern world. 2024 Global Diplomacy Index: https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/ 2024 Global Diplomacy Index – Key Findings Report: https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/key_findings America, take heed — China is winning the diplomacy race:  Financial Times opinion piece by Ryan Neelam: https://www.ft.com/content/2a63a19b-1fed-4c1a-9f75-e09f5708a8c6 Australia’s ‘diplomatic deficit’ harms our global presence: Canberra Times opinion piece by Ryan Neelam and Hervé Lemahieu: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/australia-s-diplomatic-deficit-harms-our-global-presence Five surprises from Lowy’s Global Diplomacy Index: Lowy Institute Interpreter article by Jack Sato:https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/five-surprises-lowy-s-global-diplomacy-indexSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with Admiral John Aquilino on the increasing dangers in the Indo-Pacific, the bilateral relationship between Australia and the United States, and the importance of the AUKUS security partnership. Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove moderated the discussion, which also featured questions from the audience.  Admiral John Aquilino is the 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, responsible for all US military activities in the Indo-Pacific, covering 36 nations, 14 time zones, and more than 50 per cent of the world's population. Aquilino graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1984 and earned his wings in August 1986. He served in numerous fighter squadrons, graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), and completed Harvard Kennedy School's executive education program in national and international security. Prior to his assignment to US Indo-Pacific Command, Aquilino served as the 36th Commander of US Pacific Fleet.  RECORDED:Tuesday 9 April 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.