Latest news with #UnitedStatesStudiesCentre
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
US asks Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5pc of GDP
SYDNEY: Australia's prime minister said on Monday his government would decide its defence capability needs before announcing defence spending, after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Australia to lift its defence budget to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product. "What you should do in defence is decide what you need, your capability, and then provide for it," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters, adding his government had already committed to accelerate A$10 billion in defence spending for the next four years. "We're continuing to lift up," he said, citing a 2.3 per cent goal for 2033 previously set by his government. Hegseth and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles discussed security issues including accelerating US defence capabilities in Australia and advancing industrial base cooperation during a meeting on Friday, a Pentagon statement said on Sunday. "On defence spending, Secretary Hegseth conveyed that Australia should increase its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of its GDP as soon as possible," the statement said. The ministers' meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, is only the second between the security allies since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. Albanese, who was re-elected in May and is yet to meet Trump, did not raise defence spending in this year's national budget, saying his government had already announced a A$50 billion boost over a decade. Peter Dean, director of foreign policy and defence at the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre, said Albanese was positioning ahead of his first meeting with Trump, where the pair are also expected to discuss tariffs. Albanese would want the decision on a defence boost to be seen as a sovereign one not imposed by Trump, after the election showed standing up for Australia was popular domestically, he said. Australia's defence spending in 1987 was around 3 per cent of GDP or 10 per cent of the national budget, compared to 2 per cent of GDP or 6 per cent of the budget in 2025, he said. "To achieve self-reliance in the modern era, with the threat from China, and within our region, it is going to cost more money," Dean said. The US would spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence this year, he added. Australia has comitted to spend A$368 billion over three decades on the AUKUS programme to acquire and build nuclear powered submarines, and is also boosting missile acquisition and manufacture. - Reuters
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community conversations across political divides are key for Nashville to thrive
"America more divided than at any time since civil war." This was the headline of a recent report from the United States Studies Centre, and it perfectly embodies how many Americans view today's politics: Divisive. Messy. Hateful. From TV commentators to X posts and yard signs, we are all constantly being inundated with negative political messages. We are told that everyone who disagrees with us must be evil, bigoted, or stupid. As a result, families and friends are being torn apart over politics, and a decline in bipartisanship means our government is less productive than ever. But don't be fooled. These political challenges are not insurmountable. America is not doomed to have another civil war. There is a simple solution: conversation. We have all heard that humans are social creatures. From the day we are born, we are constantly talked to, and new parents' most memorable moment is often their child's first word. This is because spoken language is the foundation of communication. It enables us to work together, learn from one another, and solve problems. Yet, it seems that our society has lost the art of conversation. From social media to presidential debates, our politics are a constant cycle of one-upping, talking points, and rallying against the 'other.' When you only focus on the next thing to say, when you are constantly scanning for weaknesses in someone's argument, it becomes impossible to truly hear them. And when you don't hear others, you're not having a conversation — you're giving a speech. To overcome our political divisions, we need to listen to, humanize, and seek to understand one another. Researchers have shown that participating in just eight minutes of political conversation grounded in shared values, mutual respect, and the desire to learn reduces cross-partisan animosity. Through conversation, we can get to know one another. We can overcome our division. And we can uphold our democracy. However, one of the pitfalls of every discussion around politics is the magnetism of hot button issues. Gun control, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights will be perennial issues in our society. In a brief conversation, you're almost certainly not going to convince someone with a different perspective to adopt your stance. Instead, the only outcome will be mutual frustration, disappointment, and a limited desire to ever talk about politics again. And perhaps most importantly, even if you did come to an agreement, nothing would change. The average American simply doesn't have the power to influence national policies. So instead, try having conversations about something you can change: our city. Nashvillians face dozens of local problems, from housing to transportation. And these are issues that we have the ability to solve if we come together through conversation rather than staying in our echo chambers and viewing members of the opposite political party as our enemies. It's time to reframe our political discussions to be more local and listening-forward. Initiatives like Civility Tennessee and Dialogue Vanderbilt are already advancing this work in our city, but they need your voice. So when you're done reading this article, try having a coffee with a neighbor who voted differently from you. Re-friend that aunt on Facebook you always argue with at Thanksgiving. And use dialogue to help Nashville thrive. Jason Vadnos is a rising junior at Vanderbilt University studying human & organizational development and culture, advocacy & leadership, passionate about upholding American democracy by promoting civil discourse and civic engagement among young people. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville needs authentic community conversations to thrive | Opinion
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's not just Greenland: Inside the fight the U.S. faces to keep a tiny Pacific island out of China's grasp
A tiny island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the staging ground of a major geopolitical tussle. Palau is made up of more than 340 coral and volcanic islands perched on the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, dotting Micronesia's edge. It is geographically closer to China than any other Pacific Island nation and still formally recognizes Taiwan. And now it is on the front line of a battle for influence, with China on one side and the U.S. on the other. The former colony, which won independence in 1994 from the U.S.-administered United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific, is home to approximately 17,000 people. It holds close ties to the United States, with Washington providing aid and defense support to Palau while its citizens can live and work in the U.S. It was one of the few countries spared Trump's sweeping tariffs. And it plays host to American-controlled airstrips with a soon-to-be-completed long-range radar system that could become critical for keeping an eye on Chinese activities. But Reuters says its investigations have found evidence of a concerted influence campaign by individuals with ties to the Chinese government, aimed at preventing the U.S. from expanding its military infrastructure on Palau. Joel Ehrendreich, the U.S. ambassador to Palau, says China is using the same tactics in Palau that it has deployed elsewhere in the Pacific. 'We've seen the playbook over and over again throughout the region, and it's been very effective,' Ehrendreich said. 'Get in with predatory investment, corrupt officials through elite capture, and try to destabilize the society through drug and human trafficking and other crime. And it's easy to do when you go one by one through these little countries that you can overwhelm.' China has strongly pushed back on the claims. Palau's strategic position puts it in a prime spot for a geopolitical tug-of-war, chief executive officer at the United States Studies Centre in Sydney Dr Michael Green explained. 'These small islands that few people know about suddenly become the objects of major strategic competition,' he told the Guardian last November. The Trump administration is no stranger to attempting to exert influence on islands while competing with rival powers - Greenland has famously been in the U.S. president's crosshairs since he returned to power in November. In March, China touted efforts to deepen co-operation between Beijing and Greenland despite Trump's bluster. Reuters now claims that Chinese efforts to influence the future of Palau run deep. The news agency has reviewed intelligence reports, police files, court records and land filings, and conducted interviews with more than 20 diplomats and local law enforcement officials as part of its investigation. U.S. intelligence reports state that people from China allegedly linked to illicit activity—including drug smuggling and prostitution—are attempting to foster relationships with senior Palau officials. They have been accused of making donations to court the island's political figures and attempting to facilitate meetings between Chinese and Palauan officials. Tamara Hutzler, the country's anti-corruption prosecutor, said political donations by foreign nationals are illegal in Palau. 'The only evidence my office has received is via anonymous sources,' she said. 'Everyone knows foreigners give money, but without evidence our hands are tied.' 'The corruption is just pervasive,' added Hutzler. It is tough to combat, she said, in part because law enforcement lacked resources. Meanwhile, Chinese businesspeople have leased land near some of the U.S. military facilities, including radar stations and airstrips, according to land records. Foreign nationals cannot purchase land in Palau, but they can lease it for decades-long periods. Ehrendreich believes the leases were almost certainly strategic. 'All around there are various plots of land that are now being leased to Chinese interests,' the ambassador said. 'I don't think it's any coincidence at all that it happens to be physically close to our projects.' The land-lease tactic, he said, was 'how they maybe are able to keep an eye on what we're trying to do here.' A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry told Reuters that the claims that China is undermining Palau's stability 'are far-fetched, slanderous, and completely fabricated nonsense.' 'Who is building military bases in Palau? Who wants to turn Palau into a strategic military outpost?' they added. 'We urge the U.S. side to stop smearing and slandering China … and stop provoking trouble in the region.' Asked about Palau's relationship with Taipei, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson urged countries that 'still maintain so-called 'diplomatic relations' with the Taiwan region not to be blindly arrogant and stubborn.' Surangel Whipps Jr., Palau's president, has expressed support for the U.S. In February Whipps Jr invited Donald Trump to go snorkeling with him to highlight the climate change challenges Palau faces. And in his first presidency, Trump brought three Pacific Islands leaders to the White House to engage on security issues. 'What Palau sees as important is a strong United States that's able to continue to be strong, is good for Palau and good for the planet," Whipps Jr said earlier this month. The Palau president did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the allegations of Chinese influence. But speaking at a think tank in Sydney, Australia, earlier this month, he did address the issue of crime on the island: 'Drugs, human trafficking, all of these kinds of activities have a way of undermining the political structure. 'Online scamming or gaming that happens, they end up influencing politicians and things that go on in Palau.'
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
It's not just Greenland: Inside the fight the U.S. faces to keep a tiny Pacific island out of China's grasp
A tiny island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the staging ground of a major geopolitical tussle. Palau is made up of more than 340 coral and volcanic islands perched on the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, dotting Micronesia's edge. It is geographically closer to China than any other Pacific Island nation and still formally recognizes Taiwan. And now it is on the front line of a battle for influence, with China on one side and the U.S. on the other. The former colony, which won independence in 1994 from the U.S.-administered United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific, is home to approximately 17,000 people. It holds close ties to the United States, with Washington providing aid and defense support to Palau while its citizens can live and work in the U.S. It was one of the few countries spared Trump's sweeping tariffs. And it plays host to American-controlled airstrips with a soon-to-be-completed long-range radar system that could become critical for keeping an eye on Chinese activities. But Reuters says its investigations have found evidence of a concerted influence campaign by individuals with ties to the Chinese government, aimed at preventing the U.S. from expanding its military infrastructure on Palau. Joel Ehrendreich, the U.S. ambassador to Palau, says China is using the same tactics in Palau that it has deployed elsewhere in the Pacific. 'We've seen the playbook over and over again throughout the region, and it's been very effective,' Ehrendreich said. 'Get in with predatory investment, corrupt officials through elite capture, and try to destabilize the society through drug and human trafficking and other crime. And it's easy to do when you go one by one through these little countries that you can overwhelm.' China has strongly pushed back on the claims. Palau's strategic position puts it in a prime spot for a geopolitical tug-of-war, chief executive officer at the United States Studies Centre in Sydney Dr Michael Green explained. 'These small islands that few people know about suddenly become the objects of major strategic competition,' he told the Guardian last November. The Trump administration is no stranger to attempting to exert influence on islands while competing with rival powers - Greenland has famously been in the U.S. president's crosshairs since he returned to power in November. In March, China touted efforts to deepen co-operation between Beijing and Greenland despite Trump's bluster. Reuters now claims that Chinese efforts to influence the future of Palau run deep. The news agency has reviewed intelligence reports, police files, court records and land filings, and conducted interviews with more than 20 diplomats and local law enforcement officials as part of its investigation. U.S. intelligence reports state that people from China allegedly linked to illicit activity—including drug smuggling and prostitution—are attempting to foster relationships with senior Palau officials. They have been accused of making donations to court the island's political figures and attempting to facilitate meetings between Chinese and Palauan officials. Tamara Hutzler, the country's anti-corruption prosecutor, said political donations by foreign nationals are illegal in Palau. 'The only evidence my office has received is via anonymous sources,' she said. 'Everyone knows foreigners give money, but without evidence our hands are tied.' 'The corruption is just pervasive,' added Hutzler. It is tough to combat, she said, in part because law enforcement lacked resources. Meanwhile, Chinese businesspeople have leased land near some of the U.S. military facilities, including radar stations and airstrips, according to land records. Foreign nationals cannot purchase land in Palau, but they can lease it for decades-long periods. Ehrendreich believes the leases were almost certainly strategic. 'All around there are various plots of land that are now being leased to Chinese interests,' the ambassador said. 'I don't think it's any coincidence at all that it happens to be physically close to our projects.' The land-lease tactic, he said, was 'how they maybe are able to keep an eye on what we're trying to do here.' A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry told Reuters that the claims that China is undermining Palau's stability 'are far-fetched, slanderous, and completely fabricated nonsense.' 'Who is building military bases in Palau? Who wants to turn Palau into a strategic military outpost?' they added. 'We urge the U.S. side to stop smearing and slandering China … and stop provoking trouble in the region.' Asked about Palau's relationship with Taipei, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson urged countries that 'still maintain so-called 'diplomatic relations' with the Taiwan region not to be blindly arrogant and stubborn.' Surangel Whipps Jr., Palau's president, has expressed support for the U.S. In February Whipps Jr invited Donald Trump to go snorkeling with him to highlight the climate change challenges Palau faces. And in his first presidency, Trump brought three Pacific Islands leaders to the White House to engage on security issues. 'What Palau sees as important is a strong United States that's able to continue to be strong, is good for Palau and good for the planet," Whipps Jr said earlier this month. The Palau president did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the allegations of Chinese influence. But speaking at a think tank in Sydney, Australia, earlier this month, he did address the issue of crime on the island: 'Drugs, human trafficking, all of these kinds of activities have a way of undermining the political structure. 'Online scamming or gaming that happens, they end up influencing politicians and things that go on in Palau.'
eNCA
30-04-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Nuclear submarine deal lurks below surface of Australian election
SYDNEY - A landmark security pact to overhaul Australia's navy with American muscle faces growing scepticism, stoked by its eyewatering cost and growing distrust of US President Donald Trump. But the sweeping deal, which will see Australia buy nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, is just about the only thing not up for debate ahead of Saturday's closely fought election. Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the AUKUS agreement to great fanfare in 2021, joining forces in a multi-decade effort to balance China's military might. AUKUS commits Washington, London and Canberra to the joint development of cyber warfare tools, artificial intelligence and hypersonic missiles. A key feature is for Australia to acquire a fleet of cutting-edge nuclear-powered submarines from the United States. Government forecasts estimate the submarine programme alone could cost Australia up to US$235-billion over the next 30 years -- one of its biggest-ever defence investments. The price, as well as Trump's return as commander-in-chief and his "America-first" foreign policy, has critics questioning the agreement. "AUKUS is a terrible deal. It is so unfair to Australia," former conservative prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said earlier this year. "(Trump) will be thinking: who are these dumb guys who agreed to this?" But both left-leaning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his conservative challenger Peter Dutton are adamant that -- whoever wins the May 3 poll -- AUKUS is here to stay. It is almost the sole area of agreement between two leaders with wildly different views on everything from climate change to immigration. "What we need is certainty, what we need is bipartisanship on issues of defence policy," Albanese said on the campaign trail this month. - 'Dumb guys' - Australia plans to acquire at least three Virginia Class submarines from the United States within the next 10 to 15 years. Eventually, and with American help, Australia aims to manufacture nuclear-powered submarines itself. These submarines -- a tightly guarded piece of American military hardware -- would prowl the Indo-Pacific, making China think twice before any skirmish in flashpoints like the Taiwan Strait. The US navy has a fleet of 24 Virginia-class vessels, which can carry cruise missiles, but American shipyards are struggling to meet production targets set at two new boats each year. Critics question why the United States would sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia without stocking its own military first. Others fear a scenario in which Australia forks out hundreds of millions in deposits and down payments, only for a mercurial Trump to tear up the deal on a whim. "This government has sold out to the United States," another former prime minister, Paul Keating, said in 2024. "They've fallen for dinner on the White House lawn." Michael Green, who runs the United States Studies Centre in Australia, said AUKUS was still the best route in the absence of a "credible second option". "Understandably, there is anxiety in Australia about whether AUKUS can survive Trump. Because nothing seems sacred to him," the former National Security Council advisor told AFP. "But there is no indication that the Trump administration would change course. So much prestige and so much effort has been put into this." - Trump distrust - From World War II to the Iraq invasion in 2003, the United States has long counted Australia as one of its most resolute military allies. But the longer Trump sits in the Oval Office, the less faith the Australian public seems to have in a nation sometimes dubbed its "greatest friend". "The unambiguous finding is that Australians have far less trust in the US than there has ever been," said Ryan Neelam, who runs the annual Lowy Institute public poll on Australia's foreign affairs. Only 36 percent of Australians trust the United States, according to the poll's latest findings from April, down 20 percentage points from 2024 to the lowest in almost two decades of Lowy Institute polling, Neelam said. Despite misgivings about Trump, however, Neelam said most Australians still put their faith in the longstanding alliance. "There's strong political bipartisanship on this issue, it's not divisive. "Albanese and Dutton are united in backing in the alliance. That makes a difference."
