Nerida King Joins ASPI DC as Resident Senior Fellow
We e are excited to announce the addition of Nerida King as Resident Senior Fellow to the ASPI DC team!
With more than 20 years’ experience in policy, security and intelligence roles in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including postings to the U.S., China and the Soloman Islands, Nerida comes to ASPI with expertise in national security, foreign policy, US-China and the Indo-Pacific, AUKUS, US Congress, maritime security and deterrence and foreign influence.
Most recently, Nerida was Deputy Chief Congressional at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC, where she led congressional engagement on cross-portfolio China issues and on AUKUS, including the passage of AUKUS enabling legislation in December 2023.
Welcome, Nerida!
The geopolitics of water: how the Brahmaputra River could shape India–China security competition
This report assesses the geopolitical impact of a possible dam at the Great Bend of the Brahmaputra. In particular, it exams the dam as a potential source of coercive leverage China may gain over India. A dam there would create four likely strategic effects: it would very likely consolidate Beijing’s political control over its distant borderlands; it would create the potential for massive flooding as a tool of violence; it may affect human settlement and economic patterns on the Indian side of the border, downstream; and it would give Beijing water and data that it could withhold from India as bargaining leverage in unrelated negotiations.
To mitigate those challenges and risks, the report provides three policy recommendations for the Indian Government and its partners in Australia and the US. First, it recommends the establishment of an open-source, publicly available data repository, based on satellite sensing, to disseminate information about the physical impacts of the Great Bend Dam. Second, it recommends that like-minded governments use international legal arguments to pressure Beijing to abide by global norms and conventions. Third, it recommends that the Quad—the informal group comprising Australia, India, Japan and the US—use its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) guidelines to begin to share information and build capacity for dam-related contingencies.
Roundtable on Climate Resiliency and Investment in the Pacific Islands
On 29 July, ASPI DC was thrilled to host a roundtable discussion on Climate Resiliency and Investment in the Pacific Islands, which brought together government officials across a variety of agencies and departments, members of the think tank community, diplomats from Indo-Pacific countries, Congressional staffers, and experts in climate adaptation and development finance to consider the challenges and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaption in the Pacific Islands.
Following the viewing of an informational video from ASPI’s Head of Climate and Security Policy Centre, Michael Copage, ASPI DC’s Tasfia Zeba and Morgan Chen led the event, which solicited crucial insights regarding the need for greater cooperation among development finance organizations and nations, the importance of strategic messaging for target audiences, and the necessity of implementing a dynamic, bottom-up approach that considers regional perspectives and emboldens climate-affected communities in the solution calculus.
This topic is highly important to us, and we look forward to propelling the discussion further.
Roundtable Discussion with Peter Dutton and James Patterson
ASPI DC hosted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Senator James Patterson for a roundtable discussion at our Washington office on 12 July.
The event brought together US government officials, national security investors, think tank experts, and industry leaders to discuss crucial topics such as economic security, emerging technologies, strategic competition with China, and the significance of the US-Australian alliance.
The roundtable fostered a productive dialogue on the importance of strengthening and maintaining robust US-Australian partnerships, thereby emphasizing shared strategic interests. Attendees expressed praise for the event and enthusiasm for continuing these vital discussions in the future.
Visit to Congressman Dunn’s Office on the Capitol Hill
On 09 July, ASPI DC visited Capitol Hill to meet with Congressman Neal Dunn (FL-2) to discuss ASPI DC’s work and the growing threat posed by China.
Representative Dunn, who serves on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, expressed his concerns about the CCP’s aggression in the South China Sea and the Pacific, as well as Chinese infrastructure projects in Africa and around the world. The discussion also highlighted the AUKUS partnership and the importance of Australian-American relations.
A large portion of the discussion focused on how Representative Dunn communicates these issues to his constituents in Florida, who are geographically distant from these geopolitical events. He emphasized the impact on global supply chains and the direct implications for everyday American lives. This meeting underscored the importance of collaboration and dialogue in addressing these critical challenges.
Women in National Security Roundtable
The ASPI DC team was thrilled to host a roundtable discussion on advancing women in national security, moving from rhetoric to action, on 08 July 2024.
Facilitated by Gai Brodtmann, ASPI Council Chair, and Marika Vigo, ASPI DC Events and Communications Manager, the event focused on key challenges and opportunities for women in the peace and national security space, such as overcoming data biases against women by increasing data transparency and accountability; breaking down barriers to entry and success for women in the space; amplifying female voices beyond tokenism to real integration into national security discourse; and collaborating across institutions, industries, and mediums to implement inclusivity and affect change within the landscape.
The roundtable solicited candid conversation on the need for better data collection around women in the industry, perhaps through a centralized mechanism or pool of talent; the opportunity from the QUAD and AUKUS for virtual mentoring to empower the next generation of female national security leaders; and the importance of overcoming systemic obstacles against women in the space (e.g., male-centric networks, gendered lexicon, invitations to moderate rather than speak on panels).
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the representatives from academia, industry, think tanks, and government who participated in the dialogue and look forward to continuing it further!
State-Sponsored IP Theft Roundtable
On 02 July 2024, ASPI DC hosted a State-Sponsored IP Theft roundtable with Deputy Director Bart Hogeveen and Senior Analyst Gatra Priyandita for ASPI’s Cyber, Technology, and Security Program.
The theft of intellectual property brings together the areas of national, cyber, and economic security. Targets include advanced economies, emerging economies, innovation hubs, and private companies intending to harvest sensitive information and trade secrets for domestic commercial use. These targets remain vulnerable due to a lack of awareness and policy protections, which makes it clear that not enough is being done and that current instruments of defense, protection, and deterrence are inadequate.
Deputy Director Hogeveen and Senior Analyst Dr. Priyandita shared their insights on a two-year project to strengthen the defense of emerging economies against the threat of state-sponsored and cyber-enabled IP theft. They also led discussions on the observed practices and perceptions in Southeast, South, and Latin America regarding China’s track record of state-sponsored IP theft campaigns and utilization of the thousand-talent program to insert Chinese intelligence collectors into corporate and government entities.
We thank Mr. Hogeveen and Dr. Priyandita for joining ASPI DC for the State-Sponsored IP Theft roundtable and for their dedication to Australia’s engagements on cyber and technology issues to ensure international peace and security.
June Policy in the Pub
Thank you to all who attended ASPI DC’s fifth installment of Policy in the Pub at Dauphine’s DC in Midtown Center, located in the heart of downtown Washington, mere blocks from the White House.
On 27 June, friends of ASPI—including distinguished academics, experts, and private sector professionals—discussed strategies to advance the collective interests of Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom in defense technologies and cyber security over Dauphine’s famous seasonal spritzes. Guest spoke to their anticipation for future ASPI DC events, such as the forthcoming Climate Resilience and Investment in the Pacific Islands roundtable and the 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony watch party.
