Rahul Mishra

On 3 May 2013, Australia’s former Prime Minister Julia Gillard released the Defence White Paper (DWP) 2013, making it the sixth White Paper on defence in the history of Australia, and the third since 2000. The last Defence White Paper, entitled Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030, was released in 2009 when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was serving his first term.

• Published: November 2013
• Strategic Analysis

Vietnam’s president Sang’s visit to the US is historic in many ways and promises to bring in a new era of partnership through active trade relations and strategic alliance as a counterweight to China.

• Published: September 02, 2013
• IDSA Comments

INS Sudarshini, India’s Sail Training Ship (STS), was sent on a commemorative expedition to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries for six months along the monsoon trade winds route to trace India’s civilisational and cultural affinities and rejuvenate trade and maritime linkages with its neighbours in the East. The voyage was part of the commemoration of the successful completion of two decades of India’s Look East Policy, 20 years of dialogue relations with ASEAN, and 10 years of India–ASEAN summit-level partnership.

• Published: September 2013
• Strategic Analysis

Timely as it was, the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s five-day China visit may be considered a success on all fronts. Leading the ‘strongest Australian delegation ever’ to China, Gillard pledged to give the relationship a ‘concrete shape’, which in Chinese Premier Li Kequing’s words, is already ‘comprehensive, constructive and cooperative’. This issue brief analyses Julia Gillard’s China visit in the context of rising Australia-China bonhomie.

• Published: May 13, 2013
• Issue Brief

This commentary attempts to put into perspective the recent developments in India–Australia bilateral ties. It argues that economic incentives and strategic calculations have compelled Australia to get closer to India. Australia's decision to supply yellowcake to India, expanding bilateral naval cooperation and Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith's December 2011 visit should be seen in that context. Australia has realised that it does not make sense to lag behind when countries across the world are jockeying to benefit from India's rise.

• Published: July 2012
• Strategic Analysis

The current trajectory of developments is likely to lead to the point where the US and the Sein government find ways to resolve outstanding points of contention between them, leading to Myanmar moving further along the path of greater political freedom, better human rights and good governance.

• Published: February 14, 2012
• IDSA Comments

The PAP needs to make itself more responsive to the common Singaporean’s demands in order to remain the single-most powerful representative of the people of Singapore.

• Published: September 30, 2011
• IDSA Comments

Piecing together Thailand’s fractured polity and society will not be an easy task especially given that the Shinawatra government has to live up to the expectations of its supporters while allaying the opposition’s apprehensions.

• Published: September 20, 2011
• IDSA Comments

To maximise gains from their bilateral relations, India and Indonesia have to tread a middle path - a mix of furthering economic complementarities while competing to attract foreign investments.

• Published: January 25, 2011
• Issue Brief

The cultural linkages between India and Indonesia have to be leveraged, as a foreign policy tool, to take India-Indonesia relations to the next level.

• Published: January 19, 2011
• Issue Brief