ASPI Podcast: Policy, Guns & Money

At the end of December 2020, the EU and China agreed in principle on a trade deal that will govern bilateral investment. Negotiations for the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment began in 2013 but the strategic environment has changed significantly since then. Brendan Nicholson and Michael Shoebridge weigh the merits of this agreement. Nicholas Coppel, Australian ambassador to Myanmar from 2015 to 2018, speaks with Dr Huong Le Thu about the motivations behind the recent coup in Myanmar, the likelihood of the military holding new elections and whether international responses have done enough so far. Covid-19 has impacted most work environments and the Australian Defence Force’s military training is no exception. Dr John Coyne and Tony McCormack consider both the challenges and benefits of implementing live, virtual and constructive training in the age of Covid. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/covid-19-means-live-virtual-and-constructive-trainings-time-has-come/ Guests & Presenters: Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Dr Huong Le Thu: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/huong-le-thu Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne Tony McCormack: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/tony-mccormack Credits: Image: via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/international-flag-myanmar-2694695/ Music: "Bad Guys" by Lobo Loco. Via the FreeMusicArchive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lobo_Loco

With the 13th National Congress held by the Vietnam Communist Party which concluded on the 1st of February this year, many thought that the current state of affairs would offer another turning point, similar to those of the Doi Moi reforms. Dr. Huong Le Thu and Dr. Robert Glasser discuss the initial results of the congress, and what the future of politics looks like in Vietnam. Daria Impiombato speaks with Dr Alexandra Phelan, Deputy Director of Monash Gender, Peace and Security and Lecturer in Politics and International Relations. They discuss the terror-crime nexus in Latin America and how Covid-19 has exacerbated both organised crime and terrorism globally, and what this means for law enforcement agencies around the world. Jocelinn Kang and Fergus Ryan discuss their research into right-wing extremist groups and the online homes they have found in Russia and China. They found that websites such as The Daily Stormer, Parler and 8Chan, which have been kicked off Western platforms are using foreign internet infrastructure to stay online. Guests: Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Huong Le Thu: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/huong-le-thu Daria Impiombato: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daria-impiombato Dr Alexandra Phelan: https://www.monash.edu/arts/gender-peace-security/our-people/key-researchers/alexandra-phelan Fergus Ryan: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/fergus-ryan Jocelinn Kang: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jocelinn-kang Image: "CPV_Congress_X" via WikiMedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CPV_Congress_X.jpg Background Music: "Beside Me" by Patrick Patrikios, via the YouTube Music Library.

In the context of Navalny’s arrest, widespread protests and Russia’s ongoing pattern of malign activities, Anastasia Kapetas speaks with James Goldgeier, Professor at American University and the Robert Bosch Senior Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution. They discuss the Biden administration’s response to the Navalny arrest and the potential for a more unified approach from the US and EU towards Russia. Lisa Sharland speaks with former ASPI researcher Genevieve Feeley about their report ‘Mapping Pacific Contributions to UN Peacekeeping: Past Experiences and Future Opportunities’ undertaken with the Australian Civil-Military Centre. They discuss the rationales behind contributing to peacekeeping operations and some of the barriers and opportunities for increased participation. Finally, Charlie Lyons-Jones and Michael Shoebridge discuss the Marxist-Leninist ideological roots of the Chinese Communist party, how ideology influences the party’s behaviour and what, if any, elements they desire to export. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/mapping-pacific-peacekeeping Guests: Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas James Goldgeier: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/james-goldgeier/ Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Genevieve Feely: @genevievefeely (Twitter) Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Charlie Lyons-Jones: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/charlie-lyons-jones Music: "To Pass Time" by Godmode via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: "Young Mao Zedong statue" via WikiMedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_Mao_Zedong_statue,_2010110303.jpg

In our first episode of Policy, Guns & Money for 2021, Dr Jacob Wallis speaks with Ariel Bogle about QAnon. They discuss the conspiracy theory’s origins, its translation from an online phenomenon into violence and the ensuing ‘real world’ consequences that encompass everything from the US Capitol riots to Australian policy responses. Anastasia Kapetas, National Security Editor for The Strategist, speaks with Russia expert Visiting Fellow at ANU Kyle Wilson, about the unfolding situation in Russia, including the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the widespread protests across the country. They discuss the similarities between China and Russia’s media censorship, Putin’s strategy when it comes to Navalny, how resilient this protest movement will be and whether it poses a real threat to Putin’s power. Finally, Peter Jennings and Michael Shoebridge talk about some of the big developments while the podcast has been on hiatus - riots at the US Capitol, Biden’s inauguration, a military coup in Myanmar, the persistent challenge of Covid-19 and growing tensions around Taiwan – and what they will be watching closely in the year ahead. Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Jacob Wallis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jacob-wallis Ariel Bogle: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/ariel-bogle Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Kyle Wilson: https://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/people/mr-kyle-wilson Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kelly%27s_Beach_Sunrise.jpg Music: "Tak" by Bobby Richards via the You Tube Music Library

In the final episode for 2020, The Strategist’s Brendan Nicholson, Anastasia Kapetas and Jack Norton share their thoughts on some of the key events and geopolitical developments of 2020 and the areas they will be watching closely in 2021. Some of the topics they discuss include: the Australia-China relationship, climate, the Brereton Inquiry, the US elections and disinformation. Policy, Guns and Money will return in January 2021! In this episode: Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Jack Norton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jack-norton Music: "June" by Bobby Richards - via the You Tube Audio Library. Image: Montage - ASPI. Bushfire background: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bertknot/8861400974/

Coinciding with this week’s launch event of the 2020 Global Terrorism Index at ASPI, Leanne Close speaks with Peta Lowe, Principal Consultant at Phronesis Consulting. Peta has over 15 years’ experience working with young people involved with the justice system, she discusses countering violent extremism in youth populations and outlines some of the key risks for radicalisation and strategies for awareness and prevention. Anastasia Kapetas speaks with Dr Christian Downie Australian Research Council Fellow at the Australian National University. They discuss Biden’s climate goals, how this will impact US domestic and foreign policy and what the implications might be for Australia. The infamous tweet from Zhao Lijian is yet another setback in the Australia-China relationship. Dr Jake Wallis, Ariel Bogle and Albert Zhang conducted a deep dive into the Twitter activity around the tweet and discussed the increasing weaponisation of social media in the global geopolitical landscape. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.aspi.org.au/event/webinar-launch-global-terrorism-index-2020 https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/tweet-storm-shows-china-aims-to-project-power-through-provocation/ Guests: Leanne Close: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/leanne-close Peta Lowe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peta-lowe Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Dr Christian Downie: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/downie-c Dr Jake Wallis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jacob-wallis Ariel Bogle: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/ariel-bogle Albert Zhang: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/albert-zhang Image: Gage Skidmore via WikiMedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joe_Biden_(48573573437).jpg Music: "Sunday Rain" by 'Cheel' via the YouTube Audio Library.

Ariel Bogle speaks to Dr Kate Starbird, Associate Professor at the University of Washington and researcher at the Election Integrity Partnership. They discuss the growing challenges for social media companies in moderating online disinformation and misinformation in the context of the US elections and President Trump’s dispute of the election results. Michael Shoebridge speaks to Rowan Callick, double Walkley Award winning journalist and author, about his recent report for the Centre for Independent Studies titled ‘The Elite Embrace’. They discuss how the Chinese party-state influences key elites in Australia and around the world, and the ten talking points to look out for in Beijing’s engagement with foreign elites. Anne Lyons speaks to David Fricker, Director-General of the National Archives of Australia, about the organisation’s recently announced plans to digitise over 650,000 Second World War service records and over 30,000 at-risk audiovisual records. They discuss the importance of reliable data and why human rights are in the conversation around data access. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.eipartnership.net/ https://www.cis.org.au/publications/occasional-papers/the-elite-embrace/ Guests: Ariel Bogle: @arielbogle (Twitter) Dr Kate Starbird: https://www.hcde.washington.edu/starbird Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Rowan Callick: http://rowancallick.com/ Anne Lyons: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anne-lyons David Fricker: https://www.naa.gov.au/about-us/our-organisation/senior-executives/david-fricker-cdoal-bacomp-gaicd Music: "She No Dull Beat" by 'Nana Kwabena' via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: pexels.com

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Brendan Nicholson speaks to Samantha Crompvoets, founder and director at Rapid Context who carried out the review of special forces which uncovered claims that war crimes were committed by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. They discuss the Brereton Report, how a dangerous ‘warrior culture’ developed unchecked, and what needs to be done to stop it happening again. Anastasia Kapetas speaks with Ben Bohane, Communications Director at ANU’s Australia Pacific Security College and Pacific specialist, about climate initiatives and innovation in the Pacific, and disaster responses and resilience. They also discuss the regional response to Joe Biden’s election and the prospects for the US to return to a global leadership role on tackling climate change. Genevieve Feely speaks to Rachel Grimes, NATO ACT Liaison Officer to the UN, ICRC and NGOs, about her experiences working in the UN, NATO and UK Defence. They discuss the importance of terminology, the progress made so far in the increasing female representation in peacekeeping operations and the prospects for advancing the women, peace and security agenda. The views expressed in this interview are Rachel’s personal views. Mentioned in this episode: https://afghanistaninquiry.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-11/IGADF-Afghanistan-Inquiry-Public-Release-Version.pdf Guests: Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Samantha Crompvoets: https://www.rapidcontext.com.au/samantha-crompvoets Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Ben Bohane: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/people/professional/ben-bohane Genevieve Feely: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/genevieve-feely Rachel Grimes MBE: https://www.lse.ac.uk/women-peace-security/people/Rachel-Grimes Music: "Drop" by 'Anno Domini Beats' - via the YouTube Audio Library Image: piqsels.com

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Brendan Nicholson and Peter Jennings discuss Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recent visit to Japan to meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and the in-principle Reciprocal Access Agreement. They discuss the significance of the agreement and what it signals about the two countries’ future engagement in South East Asia and the Pacific regions. Anastasia Kapetas speaks with Robert Glasser, ASPI Visiting Fellow and former Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction about the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. They discuss the report, which was released in October and included 80 recommendations, and offer their thoughts on the report’s efficacy in helping Australia prepare for future natural disasters. Dr Huong Le Thu speaks with Moe Thuzar, coordinator of the Myanmar Studies Program at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, about the November 8 elections in Myanmar. They discuss the election process, National League for Democracy’s victory and what it means for the future of Myanmar and the region. Mentioned in this episode: https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/royal-commission-national-natural-disaster-arrangements-report Guests: Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Huong Le Thu: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/huong-le-thu Moe Thuzar: https://www.iseas.edu.sg/about-us/researchers/moe-thuzar/ Music: "Knowpe" by Noir Et Blanc - via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: Wikimedia commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Japan_(1).jpg

Anastasia Kapetas speaks to Peter Hartcher, political editor and international editor at the Sydney Morning Herald to unpack the United States elections and the developments since, including President Trump’s refusal to concede, the dismissal of Defence Secretary Mark Esper and the disinformation that continues to spread across social media. Michael Shoebridge speaks to David Uren, writer and non-resident fellow with the United States Studies Centre about his ASPI report ‘Economic coercion: Boycotts and sanctions-preferred weapons of war.’ They discuss the tool of economic sanctions, the ways they are used by the United States and the challenges that sanctions can create for businesses, including Australian companies. Lisa Sharland speaks to Deborah Warren-Smith, Manager of the Elsie Initiative with over twenty years’ experience in the military, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. They discuss the work the Elsie Initiative Fund is doing in the WPS space to increase the participation of uniformed women in UN peacekeeping operations. Mentioned in this episode: ASPI report ‘Economic coercion: boycotts and sanctions—preferred weapons of war’: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/economic-coercion-boycotts-and-sanctions-preferred-weapons-war The Elise Initiative Fund: https://elsiefund.org/ Guests: Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Peter Hartcher: https://www.smh.com.au/by/peter-hartcher-hve0w Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Deborah Warren-Smith Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge David Uren: https://www.ussc.edu.au/experts/david-uren Music: "Checkmate" by Nathan Moore - via the You Tube Audio Library. Election map: © Google 2020