Australia in the World

• Ep. 163: PM Albanese visits China

  The PM made a big trip to China, and the ABC’s Stephen Dziedzic accompanied him as part of the press contingent. Darren and Stephen discuss both Beijing’s and Canberra’s interests in the visit, the careful diplomacy of the week, an apparent effort from the Trump administration to use the Taiwan issue to derail the visit, and whether Australia really is in a “post stabilisation” phase in its bilateral relationship with China. Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Hannah Nelson and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links Stephen Dziedzic, “Albanese bats away questions about Taiwan and US defence demands on first day of China visit”, ABC News, 13 July 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-13/albanese-taiwan-us-defence-demands-china-visit/105526626 Stephen Dziedzic, “China's Premier Li Qiang calls for more economic ties with Australia in meeting with Anthony Albanese”, ABC News, 16 July 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-16/anthony-albanese-meets-li-qiang-business-leaders-in-china/105536072 “What does the PM's trip to China mean for Taiwan? | Insiders On Background” ABC News, 19 July 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP5Y0nKmxt0 PM Albanese, John Curtin Oration, 5 July 2025: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/john-curtin-oration Dwarkesh Patel, “China’s Manufacturing Dominance: State Directives & Ruthless Competition — Arthur Kroeber’ (podcast), 20 June 2025: https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/arthur-kroeber The rest is history (podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/7Cvsbcjhtur7nplC148TWy (Spotify) | https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786 (Apple)

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• Ep. 162: Israel attacks Iran; no Albo-Trump meeting

  Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s attack on Iran that began over the weekend, could be the beginning of something very big, and very bad. Or it could lead to the downfall of a regime who few would mourn, not to mention a reduced risk of nuclear proliferation. It’s too early to say, but in the spirit of exploring the dynamics of the issue Darren is joined again by Stephen Dziedzic of the ABC to talk through the last few days and what they might mean. Along the way, Stephen explains the possible implications of President Trump cancelling his meeting with PM Albanese at the G7 to return to Washington. Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Walter Colnaghi and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links “Wong outlines 'very perilous situation' in Middle East | Insiders | ABC News” (video), 15 June 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vumMIJO7LQ

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• Ep. 161: Shangri-La 2025; 3.5% of GDP on defence?

  The annual Shangri-La Dialogue took place in Singapore from 30 May to 1 June. Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute attended and returns to the podcast to talk through his impressions with Darren. What did we learn about the Trump administration’s strategy in Asia? Should the region fear abandonment or entrapment more? And what should we make of Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s call for Australia to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence? Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Hannah Nelson and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore (As Delivered), 31 May 2025: https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4202494/remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-the-2025-shangri-la-dialogue-in/ Huw McKay, “Trump and the art of the (bad faith) deal”, “Lowy Interpreter, 2 June 2025. Stacie E. Goddard, “The Rise and Fall of Great-Power Competition: Trump’s New Spheres of Influence”, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2025: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/rise-and-fall-great-power-competition# Net Assessment (podcast), “Great Power Competition or Collusion?”, 29 May 2025: https://www.stimson.org/2025/great-power-competition-or-collusion/

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• Ep. 160: PM to Jakarta, Vatican; FM to Pacific; think tank influence?

  With Prime Minister Albanese’s government returned to office with a large majority, Darren is wondering what the data from the PM and Foreign Minister’s first overseas trips tell us about the early trajectory of Australian foreign policy in this new term. Is it one of continuity or change? Stephen Dziedzic of the ABC, who accompanied the PM on his trip to Jakarta, the Vatican, and Singapore, joins to discuss that trip and FM Penny Wong’s trip to three Pacific Island nations. Finally, the PM was critical of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) this week, and in light of that story Darren ventures a model of think thank influence, much to Stephen’s delight! Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Walter Colnaghi and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links Stephen Dziedzic, “Albanese calls for deeper economic ties with Indonesia on first visit since re-election”, ABC News, 15 May 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-15/anthony-albanese-first-overseas-trip-to-indonesia/105298630 Greg Earl, “Australia-Indonesia relations: From Keating’s bold vision to Albanese’s careful pragmatism”, Lowy Interpreter, 22 May 2025: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-indonesia-relations-keating-s-bold-vision-albanese-s-careful-pragmatism Stephen Dziedzic, “Anthony Albanese tells Volodymyr Zelenskyy Australia doing 'whatever we can' to pressure Russia”, ABC News, 19 May 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-19/albanese-meets-zelenskyy-and-the-pope-in-rome/105308062 Stephen Dziedzic, “Pacific Island nations support China's Taiwan claims at high-profile foreign ministers' meeting”, ABC News, 29 May 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-29/china-wang-yi-pacific-islands-meeting-climate-taiwan/105353012 Andrew Greene, “Anthony Albanese tells think tank to 'have a look at themselves' after defence report”, ABC News, 29 May 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-29/albanese-lashes-aspi-defence-spending-report/105351518 Christoper Clary, “Four Days in May: The India-Pakistan Crisis of 2025”, Stimson Center. Working Paper, 28 May 2025: https://www.stimson.org/2025/four-days-in-may-the-india-pakistan-crisis-of-2025/ Grand Tamasha (podcast), “How this India-Pakistan conflict will shape the next one”, 20 May 2025: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/grand-tamasha/how-this-india-pakistan-conflict-will-shape-the-next-one?lang=en Interesting Times with Ross Douthat (podcast), “Progressives Are Driving Themselves Into Extinction” 29 May 2025: (Youtube link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BBapHuklN8

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• Ep. 159: A PM's Chief of Staff on the world facing Australia

  Darren welcomes Dr John Kunkel for the first time to the podcast. John is Senior Economics Adviser at the United States Studies Centre. He has worked as an economist, speech writer, policy analyst, adviser to government and industry executive. John is most well-known for being Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Scott Morrison from August 2018 to May 2022. From 2004 to 2007, he was also speech writer to Prime Minister John Howard.  John has the ideal background to discuss the current geopolitical and geoeconomic moment Australia faces. He holds a PhD in economics from ANU and understands why markets and openness have been essential to Australia’s success. But as a PM’s Chief of Staff, including during the COVID outbreak, John is well aware of the complexity of Australia’s national interests, the difficult of making policy, and the challenges posed by China and, lately, Donald Trump’s America. The conversation starts with President Trump and the United States, moves to China, and finishes at home on how Australia needs new thinking, and new policy processes, to navigate this moment in history. Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode Corbin Duncan and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links John Kunkel (bio): https://www.ussc.edu.au/john-kunkel Adam Posen, “Trade wars are easy to lose”, Foreign Affairs, 9 April 2025: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/tariffs-trade-wars-are-easy-lose Yuval Levin Wikipedia page (author of “The Great Debate”, “The Fractured Republic” and “A Time to Build”): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuval_Levin Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions (1987): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Conflict_of_Visions James Q Wilson, The Moral Sense (1993): https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Moral-Sense/James-Q-Wilson/9780684833323 China Talk (podcast), “Ezra, Derek and Dan Wang”, 9 May 2025: https://www.chinatalk.media/p/abundance-and-antagonism

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