Best Pacific Index Podcasts (2024)

1
Development Futures - What to expect at COP29 20:56

1h ago20:56

20:56

In this episode, we explore what might happen at COP29, the upcoming UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. With global emissions at record highs and climate impacts intensifying, this year’s conference will focus on setting a new climate finance goal to drive global climate action. The Lowy Institute’s Alexandre Dayant is joined by Indo-Pacific De…

1
Conversations: Trump returns — what now? 26:52

25m ago26:52

26:52

In this episode of Conversations, the Lowy Institute's Dr Michael Fullilove and Hervé Lemahieu discuss Donald Trump's remarkable political comeback. What will a second Trump presidency mean for America's allies, adversaries, and the fence-sitters? And how should Australia deal with Mr Trump in the Oval Office? You can also read our special feature …

1
US Elections 2024 -- Republicans win 58:39

18h ago58:39

58:39

The US election has finally occurred and the Republicans seem like the big winner -- winning the presidency, the Senate, and in line to win the House of Representatives.By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

1
Clash of Two Gilded Ages and the US presidential election polls 1:02:51

7h ago1:02:51

1:02:51

We discuss Prof Yuen Yuen Ang's article on the clash of the US and China as that of two gilded ages rather than clash of civilizations. We then talk about the polls just a few days before the US presidential election and how the election is still too close to call. Recommended reading list: https://www.noemamag.com/the-clash-of-two-gilded-ages/ Lue…

1
Lowy Institute experts discussion the US Presidential Elections 1:03:37

1h ago1:03:37

1:03:37

On the eve of the US election, Lowy Institute experts review the culmination of a tumultuous 2024 presidential election season. Michael Fullilove, Ryan Neelam, Richard McGregor and Susannah Patton examine the beliefs and policies that animate both presidential contenders – Kalama Harris and Donald Trump – and their teams of advisors. They also disc…

1
North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, Impending 'betrayal' of Ukraine? The Age of De-population, Japan's LDP loses its majority 1:05:38

7h ago1:05:38

1:05:38

In this episode we discuss reports that North Korean soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. We then talk about an essay published by the Royal United Services Institute about the possible of betrayal of Ukraine and why this betrayal is likely to happen. We discuss the Foreign Affairs article about the problem of depopulation that the world is facing tod…

1
EVENT: Safeguarding Democracy in an era of geopolitical competition 1:00:39

1h ago1:00:39

1:00:39

Democracies around the world are being challenged by socio-economic pressures, rising inequalities, and rapid technological developments, as well as growing polarisation and diminishing trust in institutions. Safeguarding democracy by addressing these challenges has become a national priority, but it also has clear geopolitical implications for Aus…

1
Elon Musk giving $1M to Pennsylvania voters, Indonesian presidential inauguration, Trump works in a MacDonalds 1:11:06

5h ago1:11:06

1:11:06

Is Musk offering money to voters considered vote buying? Months after the presidential election, the new Indonesian president is finally sworn in. Donald Trump apparently worked in a MacDonald's for a day, but did he really?By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

1
Launch of the 2024 Asia Power Index: Will China gain uncontested primacy in Asia? 56:17

10d ago56:17

56:17

With China’s military capability increasing but US military primacy still holding firm for now, bi-polarity may be the name of the game in the Asia Pacific. But will this bipolarity hold and how are other regional countries positioned? Richard McGregor hosts Professor Hugh White, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National Un…

1
Development Futures: The case for an Indo-Pacific Economic Resilience Bank 25:49

6d ago25:49

25:49

Eighty years ago, the Bretton Woods agreement shaped the global financial system to build a better world. While its institutions remain vital, they are struggling to meet today’s challenges — climate change, economic insecurity, and a multi-trillion-dollar development financing gap. In this podcast, Lowy Institute researchers Alexandre Dayant, Mich…

1
Is Asia multipolar? Debating the results of the Asia Power Index 1:03:29

8d ago1:03:29

1:03:29

In Asia, a battle of narratives rages. Many believe China is already an unassailably dominant force, while US primacists see it as ultimately containable. In either case, bipolarity is the order of the day. However, countries such as Australia and Japan tout the emergence of a multipolar Indo-Pacific. What do the findings of the Lowy Institute’s As…

1
Great power rivalry and implications for Southeast Asia and America losing Southeast Asia to China? 1:08:17

10d ago1:08:17

1:08:17

We chat about Nick's research presentation at the Southeast Asia Research Initiative seminar on the implications of great power rivalry on Southeast Asia and then examine whether there is validity in the concern that the United States is losing its position of influence in Southeast Asia to China as other global issues drags America's attention to …

1
EVENT: The Canberra launch of Sean Turnell’s Best Laid Plans — The Inside Story of Reform in Aung San Suu Kyi’s Myanmar 1:01:18

13d ago1:01:18

1:01:18

Sean Turnell's new Lowy Institute Paper, Best Laid Plans, was officially launched by Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong at an event at the National Press Club in Canberra, on Monday 14 October 2024. The new book offers a unique first-hand account of the radical reforms implemented in Myanmar under the ill-fated civilian government of Daw Aung …

1
Conversations: Hostage diplomacy with Sean Turnell 20:26

15d ago20:26

20:26

Hostage-taking and arbitrary detention by both state and non-state actors are on the rise. The Lowy Institute’s Sean Turnell, himself wrongfully imprisoned for two years in Myanmar, and Lydia Khalil discuss hostage diplomacy, its personal and global impacts and what can be done about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Hezbollah-Israel conflict, US strategy in the Mideast, Sikh referendum in NZ, RNZN ship sinks in Samoa 1:12:03

17d ago1:12:03

1:12:03

We examine the implications of the conflict in the Mideast to our region and discuss a recent essay in Foreign Affairs that calls for a change of approach to US Mideast strategy. The Khalistan movement has supporters in NZ that are holding a referendum on Sikh independence. Then the sad news of the sinking of the RNZN survey ship in Samoa while doi…

1
EVENT: The 2024 US presidential election — Democracy and its discontents 1:03:17

1M ago1:03:17

1:03:17

As the United States approaches a pivotal presidential election in November, populism is on the rise and key tenets of American democracy are being tested. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is preparing for two very different versions of the superpower. ‍Dr Michael Dimock, the President of Pew Research Center, joins the Lowy Institute's Ryan Neelam …

1
Conversations: The global impact of a Harris or Trump victory 29:07

22d ago29:07

29:07

With less than a month to go before one of the most consequential presidential elections in US history, Lowy Institute experts Lydia Khalil, Hervé Lemahieu and Sam Roggeveen sit down to discuss what a potential Trump or Harris administration would mean for the United States and its relationships with allies and adversaries. Drawing on two recently …

1
Asia Power index, China and changing power in East Asia talk by Prof Robert Ross of Boston College 1:16:55

29d ago1:16:55

1:16:55

Lowy Institute released its new Asia Power index, we discuss the method and design of this power index. How does the construction of an index affects the rankings of countries?By Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs

1
EVENT: The War for Ukraine — Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire 57:59

27d ago57:59

57:59

The soundness of military strategy and the nimbleness with which strategy can adapt to unforeseen circumstances are the two most important factors in deciding victory or defeat. This is the clearest lesson to emerge from the Ukraine war, argues Mick Ryan, one of the most quoted and influential military experts on the conflict. ‍ We heard from Mick …

1
Development Futures: A climate loss and damage fund that works 18:52

29d ago18:52

18:52

In this episode, we delve into the United Nations Loss and Damage Fund, the most concrete effort to address restitution for those impacted by climate change. As the recently appointed board begins crafting a global fund to financially support climate victims, much remains unresolved, including complex questions about who is eligible for money and h…

1
Research on Pacific maritime spaces, Harris/Trump debate, US electoral battleground states 1:18:10

1M ago1:18:10

1:18:10

We chat about two research papers we conducted on Pacific maritime space. One research is about Fiji and Solomon Islands and how these two countries exercise their agency and the second paper is on fisheries and maritime security issues. We then talk about our own impressions of the US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Las…

1
EVENT: From Jokowi to Prabowo: Perspectives from the ANU Indonesia Update 1:03:12

2M ago1:03:12

1:03:12

Monday 16 September 2024‍ Indonesia is in the countdown to the October presidential transition from Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to Prabowo Subianto, who won a decisive victory in the April presidential election. Hugely ambitious and popular, Jokowi leaves a complex legacy, including strained democratic institutions, the politicisation of the police and mi…

1
2024 Asia Power Index Results 22:34

2M ago22:34

22:34

Each year, the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index (API) provides the authoritative guide to the distribution of power in Asia. In the first of a three part series on the API, index authors Susannah Patton, Jack Sato and Hervé Lemahieu discuss the findings of the latest edition, including the outlook for US-China competition, the relative influence o…

1
Indonesia-China the next stoush in the South China Sea, a possible standoff between the Global South and China and Pope Francis in Southeast Asia 1:05:54

1M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

Indonesian activity in the South China Sea is increasing as the country builds its own military bases in disputed waters while ferreting out Chinese fishing vessels that intrude into their EEZ. Is this another conflict that adds to an already tense theatre? Chinese industrial overcapacity has seen protectionist actions by members of the Global Sout…

1
Debating the inevitability of US confrontation with China - Part two 24:36

2M ago24:36

24:36

Dmitri Alperovitch is the author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century. In this Lowy Institute Conversation, he talks with Sam Roggeveen about China’s ambitions, why Taiwan is so important, the military balance in Asia, and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Debating the inevitability of US confrontation with China - Part one 17:57

1M ago17:57

17:57

Dmitri Alperovitch is the author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century. In this Lowy Institute Conversation, he talks with Sam Roggeveen about China’s ambitions, why Taiwan is so important, the military balance in Asia, and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

1
Danger of planning for peaked China? US urged to dropped obsession of being Number 1 50:19

2M ago50:19

50:19

Two articles published in prominent foreign policy magazines from well-known observers of international affairs of the Asia-Pacific. Ryan Haas in his article suggested that US planning policies on the basis of peaked China is not a good idea. Second article is a letter from Singapore to the next US president urging the US to stopped being so obsess…

1
EVENT: In conversation with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga 58:56

2M ago58:56

58:56

On Tuesday 10 September we had a conversation with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, on key global economic challenges, what this means for Australia and the Asia-Pacific, and how the World Bank, governments, private sector, and civil society can work together to make the investments needed to end poverty and boost shared prosperit…

1
Japan PM Kishida steps down, Thailand has new PM, Jokowi maneuvering behind the scenes, and NZ PM Luxon's speech at Lowy in Sydney 1:05:26

2M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

Japan PM Kishida steps down and opens up new leadership contest within the LDP. Is it 'plus ca change' in the case of Japanese politics? Clan politics seem to be the name of the game in two Southeast Asian countries -- Thailand and Indonesia. Thailand's new PM is the formerly exiled Thaksin Shinawatra's daughter and the Shinawatra family seem to be…

1
EVENT: The Sydney launch of Sean Turnell’s Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of Reform in Aung San Suu Kyi’s Myanmar 1:01:16

2M ago1:01:16

1:01:16

On Tuesday 3 September 2024 we had a conversation with Sean Turnell about his latest book, Best Laid Plans, a unique first-hand account of the radical reforms implemented in Myanmar under the ill-fated civilian government of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. These reforms, designed both to turn around Myanmar’s dire economy and lay the economic foundations for…

1
EVENT: Australia’s permanent contest: China in the Pacific Islands 1:06:34

2M ago1:06:34

1:06:34

From deals on policing in Solomon Islands to building parliamentary complexes in Vanuatu, China’s outreach and activities in the Pacific Islands region appear indefatigable. In the words of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Canberra and its partners are locked in a "state of permanent contest" with Beijing over influence in the region. Previously underv…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Pacific Index Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide