ASPI Podcast: Policy, Guns & Money

Last Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz became the first democratic leader to visit Beijing and meet President Xi Jinping since he tightened his grip on power at the 20th Communist Party Congress in October. ASPI Analyst Daria Impiombato speaks to the President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Joerg Wuttke, about the significance of the highly-contested visit and what it means for the future of foreign business in China and China-Europe relations. Guests: Daria Impiombato: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daria-impiombato Joerg Wuttke: https://www.europeanchamber.com.cn/en/executive-committee Music: "Salt lake Swerve - Chillout Remix" by Maarten Schellekens, Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) via the FreeMusicArchive.org

On 11th July, billionaire Richard Branson joined Virgin Galactic’s first fully crewed test flight to space. Billionaire Jeff Bezos will soon follow suit on the first Blue Origin crewed flight on July 20. Dr Malcolm Davis speaks with Dr Cassandra Steer from the ANU Institute of Space and College of Law to discuss this new era for space tourism and its potential implications. The arrest of former South African president, Jacob Zuma, has sparked mass unrest in the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Research Intern Khwezi Nkwanyana speaks to Dr Ibrahim Abraham from the Australian National University about the recent violence and the significance of Zuma’s arrest with regards to corruption and wider stability in the country. Dr Teagan Westendorf is joined by Peta Lowe from Phronesis Consulting and Training to discuss counterterrorism and the roles of countering violent extremism (CVE) and preventing violent extremism (PVE). Peta and Teagan discuss these issues with a specific focus on gender, regional complexities and the cyber realm. Mentioned in this episode: War and Peace in Outer Space: Law, Policy, and Ethics, edited by Cassandra Steer and Matthew Hersch Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Malcolm Davis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis Dr Cassandra Steer: https://law.anu.edu.au/people/cassandra-steer Khwezi Nkwanyana: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/khwezi-nkwanyana Dr Ibrahim Abraham: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/abraham-i Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Peta Lowe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peta-lowe

UN Peacekeeping operations are an extremely important part of the UN’s contribution to international peace and security. Peacekeeping expert Associate Professor Charlie Hunt from RMIT University joins Lisa Sharland to discuss some of the challenges facing the UN in delivering these important operations and the future of peacekeeping, and how Australia can increase its presence in peacekeeping operations. In June this year, the US Government released its first ‘National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism’. Professor Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, joins Dr Teagan Westendorf to examine the strategy. They consider the strategy’s four pillars, policy gaps and its potential to address the threat of domestic terrorism in the US. In an excerpt of an ASPI Webinar, Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, joined Fergus Hanson for a discussion online on some of the challenges facing the world’s largest messaging service. They discussed end-to-end encryption, working in countries with different government requirements and the importance of security to WhatsApp. You can watch the full discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KBQCsLDoBA Mentioned in this episode: US National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/National-Strategy-for-Countering-Domestic-Terrorism.pdf ASPI Webinar with Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KBQCsLDoBA Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Dr Charlie Hunt: https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-contacts/academic-staff/h/hunt-associate-professor-charlie Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Professor Arie Perliger: https://www.uml.edu/fahss/criminal-justice/faculty/perliger-arie.aspx Fergus Hanson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/fergus-hanson Will Cathcart: https://about.facebook.com/media-gallery/executives/will-cathcart/ Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schellekens via the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org

Lisa Sharland is joined by Professor Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security at the University of Adelaide, to discuss her chapter on ‘Strategic Competition and the Pacific Islands’ in the Institute for International and Strategic Studies Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2021. They discuss the challenges posed by strategic competition in the region, opportunities for Australian engagement and why Australia should work more closely with partners in the region. Dr Malcolm Davis speaks to Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Marcrum and Dr Brendan Mulvaney from the US China Aerospace Studies Institute about the concept of deterrence, something they explored in the recent ASPI report ‘To deter the PRC…’. They discuss how the People’s Republic of China views and approaches deterrence in comparison to liberal democracies, and how Australia and its partners should respond. Climate policy remains a hot topic in Australia. With Barnaby Joyce re-elected as nationals leader and the federal government still not committing to net-zero by 2050, Anastasia Kapetas and Dr Robert Glasser discuss the Australian Government’s current position on climate, and climate risks for Australia and our near region. Mentioned in this episode: To deter the PRC: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/deter-prc Strategic Competition and the Pacific Islands: https://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-dossiers/asia-pacific-regional-security-assessment-2021 Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Professor Joanne Wallis: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/joanne.wallis Dr Malcolm Davis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Marcrum: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/kyle-marcrum Dr Brendan Mulvaney: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-mulvaney Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bf/Northern_Islands.jpg Music: "Dulce Reggaeton" by An Jone, via the YouTube Audio Library

Anastasia Kapetas is joined by John Schaus, Senior Fellow of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They explore the concept of asymmetric power and deterrence, how it is used by different actors and how the US and its allies should respond. In May this year, the Chinese government announced the three-child policy, an initiative designed to help increase birth rates in China. Daria Impiombato is joined by Leta Hong Fincher, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University and author of ‘Betraying Big Brother: the feminist awakening in China’. They discuss the three-child policy, as well as coercive family planning policies in Xinjiang and feminism in China. We are delighted to share an extract of a recent interview with Major General Cheryl Pearce for ASPI’s Women in Defence and Security Network. Major General Pearce, who was most recently Force Commander of the UN Forces in Cyprus, speaks to Lisa Sharland about leadership challenge during Covid-19 and advice for emerging female leaders based on her experiences working in the ADF and in a multi-national force. The full interview is available to watch here: https://bit.ly/2SY6YLE ASPI WDSN Interview with Major General Cheryl Pearce: https://bit.ly/2SY6YLE Guests (in order of appearance): Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas John Schaus: https://www.csis.org/people/john-schaus Daria Impiombato: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daria-impiombato Leta Hong Fincher: http://ealac.columbia.edu/leta-hong-fincher/ Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Major General Cheryl Pearce: @CherylAPearce (Twitter) Music by Unicorn Heads via the YouTube Audio Library. Image by Wokandapix via Pixabay (pixabay.com)

Arguably the biggest submarine program in the Western world outside of the United States, Australia’s submarine development continues to raise concerns around cost. Michael Shoebridge and Dr Marcus Hellyer examine the outcomes of the recent Senate Estimates in relation to the underwater program, and what the life-of-type upgrades mean for the submarine’s future. ASPI’s Mapping China’s Technology Giants project provides an overview of the global impact of Chinese technology companies. Tom Uren is joined by Fergus Ryan and Daria Impiombato for a discussion on how U.S. sanctions have impacted the growth of these organisations, and how the Chinese Communist Party’s political influence creates privacy concerns. In a conversation on nation-building, Dr John Coyne and Gill Savage discuss how Australia can re-think its approach to infrastructure in a post-Covid environment. Using the Port of Townsville as an example, they discuss how greater cooperation between regional, state and national governments can achieve economic, social and environmental prosperity. Mentioned in this episode: Mapping China’s Tech Giants: Reining in China’s technology giants: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/mapping-chinas-technology-giants-reining-chinas-technology-giants Collaborative nation building: Port of Townsville case study: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/collaborative-nation-building-port-townsville-case-study Guests (in order of appearance): Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Tom Uren: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/tom-uren Fergus Ryan: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/fergus-ryan Daria Impiombato: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daria-impiombato Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne Gill Savage: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/gill-savage

Recently, national security debates in the United States and Australia have been heavily focused on the likelihood of conflict in the Taiwan Straits. Anastasia Kapetas is joined by Ryan Hass, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution to discuss the credibility of this narrative. They discuss the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan and how Taiwan can counter China’s actions. Dr Robert Glasser is joined by Natasha Kassam, Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program at the Lowy Institute to discuss Lowy’s ‘Climate Poll 2021’, an annual report on Australia’s national attitude to climate change. ASPI’s annual Cost of Defence report breaks down the funding and expenditure of the Department of Defence, examining key areas of growth, acquisition spending and investment. Report author Dr Marcus Hellyer discusses some of the trends highlighted in this year’s report with Peter Jennings, and the increasing financial concern around Defence’s external workforce. Mentioned in this episode: The Cost of Defence: ASPI defence budget brief 2021-22: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/cost-defence-aspi-defence-budget-brief-2021-2022 ‘Taiwan needs assuredness, not alarm’, Brookings Blog by Ryan Hass: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/05/18/taiwan-needs-assuredness-not-alarm/ Lowy Institute Climate Poll 2021: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/climatepoll-2021 Guests (in order of appearance): Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Ryan Hass: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/ryan-hass/ Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Natasha Kassam: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/people/experts/bio/natasha-kassam Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Background music: "Islabonita" by An Jone, via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: Geoff Pryor.

This week we are excited to share a special episode on Africa Day. Celebrated annually on 25 May, Africa Day commemorates the 1963 founding of the African Union. Lisa Sharland speaks to Ambassador Martin Kimani, the new permanent representative of Kenya to the United Nations. They discuss Kenya’s role on the UN Security Council, engaging in multilateralism via Zoom and counter-terrorism. Brendan Nicholson speaks to Australia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Ms Gita Kamath about Australia’s economic ties with South Africa, the impact of Covid-19 on the region and the effectiveness of groupings such as the Southern African Development Community and the Southern African Customs Union as unifying forces. In November last year, the Ethiopian government launched a military offensive in the country’s northern Tigray region. ASPI Research Intern Khwezi Nkwanyana speaks to the Director of Horn of Africa at Human Rights Watch, Laetitia Bader, about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, its geopolitical implications for neighbouring countries and the responses from different multilateral institutions. Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Ambassador Martin Kimani: https://www.un.int/kenya/staff/amb-martin-kimani Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Ms Gita Kamath: https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/high-commissioner-to-south-africa Khwezi Nkwanyana: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/khwezi-nkwanyana Laetitia Bader: https://www.hrw.org/about/people/laetitia-bader Image: Flag of the African Union - via WikiPedia Music: "Beyond" by Patrick Patrikios via the YouTube Audio Library

Recently, ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre released a new report which found that birth rates in Uyghur-majority areas in Xinjiang have fallen by unprecedented amounts since 2017. Danielle Cave speaks to report authors Dr James Leibold and Nathan Ruser about the government policies behind this birth-rate drop and some of the report’s key findings. The International Energy Agency has released the report 'Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector' which highlights that the need for transitioning to a net zero system by 2050 has become a near-necessity. Anastasia Kapetas and Dr Robert Glasser discuss the report’s findings and what it means for the international energy sector. On May 7 2021, Colonial Pipeline - a United States major fuel pipeline operator - was the victim of one of the most disruptive cyber-attacks on record, by cybercriminal hacking group DarkSide. Tom Uren and Dr John Coyne discuss the fallout from the ransomware hit, what it means for international law enforcement, and the impact of this on the regulation of cryptocurrency. Mentioned in this episode: ‘Family De-planning: The Coercive Campaign to Drive Down Indigenous Birth-rates in Xinjiang’ report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/family-deplanning-birthrates-xinjiang ‘Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector’ report: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050?utm_campaign=IEA%20newsletters&utm_source=SendGrid&utm_medium=Email Guests (in order of appearance): Danielle Cave: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/danielle-cave Dr James Leibold: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/james-leibold Nathan Ruser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/nathan-ruser Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Tom Uren: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/tom-uren Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne

In April, President Biden held the first Leaders Summit on Climate which saw a number of countries commit to more ambitious reduction targets. Research intern Matthew Page speaks to Associate Professor Matt McDonald from the University of Queensland about Australia’s hesitancy to set a target date for emission reductions, the impacts of climate on Australia’s national security and whether investment in hydrogen and carbon-capture and storage technologies will significantly reduce Australia’s carbon emissions. The financial and social impacts of Covid-19 and the increased time people are spending online have been described as factors which may make people more vulnerable to radicalisation. Dr Teagan Westendorf speaks to Nafees Hamid, Research Fellow at Artis International, about pathways to radicalisation, including the significance of sacred values, and the importance of community in preventing radicalisation. Brendan Nicholson is joined by Katherine Stewart from the International Committee of the Red Cross for a conversation about her experiences working in the Australian Defence Force and the ICRC. They discuss Kath’s experiences working in Bougainville and Iraq and most recently, in Israel and the Occupied Territories, and the importance of neutrality in the Red Cross. Mentioned in this episode: - https://theconversation.com/the-neuroscience-of-terrorism-how-we-convinced-a-group-of-radicals-to-let-us-scan-their-brains-114855 Guests (in order of appearance): Matthew Page: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/matthew-page Associate Professor Matt McDonald: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/634 Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Nafees Hamid: https://artisinternational.org/nafis-hamid/ Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Background music: Stylish Groove by Scott Holmes Music via the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/media-music-mix/stylish-groove Image: "Greenland Ice Sheet" via WikiMedia: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Greenland_Ice_Sheet.jpg/2560px-Greenland_Ice_Sheet.jpg