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Nick Bisley

Executive Director of La Trobe Asia and Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University

Professor Nick Bisley is Executive Director of La Trobe Asia at La Trobe University. Prior to this appointment Nick was head of the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Legal Studies at La Trobe. His research and teaching expertise is in the international relations of the Asia-Pacific, globalisation and the diplomacy of great powers. Nick is the author of many works on international relations, including Great Powers in the Changing International Order (Lynne Rienner, 2012) and Issues in 21st Century World Politics 2e (Palgrave, 2013), co-edited with Mark Beeson. He is the Editor in Chief of the Australian Journal of International Affairs and has held visiting appointments at the East-West Center, Washington DC and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Global Geopolitics Series

The China-US rivalry is not a new Cold War. It is way more complex and could last much longer

Aug 27, 2020 08:05 am UTC| Politics

The author will be leading on online discussion through La Trobe University today on the threat of a new Cold War between China and the US, with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and China Matters director Linda Jakobson....

US-China relations were already heated. Then coronavirus threw fuel on the flames

May 14, 2020 10:46 am UTC|

Even before the COVID-19 crisis upended the world, US-China relations had entered a particularly mistrustful and combative period. While the mutual antagonism predated the Trump administration Chinese President Xi...

The risks of a new Cold War between the US and China are real: here's why

Sep 27, 2018 15:56 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Donald Trump is making good on his trade war rhetoric with China, announcing tariffs on a further US$200 billion worth of goods from the PRC. As China promises retaliation, the warmth of the Mar-a-Lago summit of April 2017...

Asia is set for a difficult year in 2018 – much of it centred around China

Jan 29, 2018 07:49 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

In 2017 we finally realised that the four decades of geopolitical stability enjoyed by Asian countries and societies had come to an end. In 2018, the major patterns that will come to dominate the region will become...

China's ambition burns bright - with Xi Jinping firmly in charge

Oct 25, 2017 07:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The most important political event of 2017, the 19th Chinese Communist Party Congress, has concluded. And while there was much to digest, one image above all stands out: Xi Jinpings political dominance and his burning...

Global Geopolitics Series

Asia’s dangerous new geopolitics

Jul 12, 2017 18:55 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The first week of July is not normally one that brings great events in world politics. Around that time, the northern hemisphere normally shifts into summer holiday mode. Recently, this has become less true. Coups in...

Twenty years after the handover, Hong Kong proves itself a headache for China

Jun 21, 2017 15:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Hong Kong had suffered more than a century of vicissitudes. So declared Jiang Zemin on July 1, 1997, at the return of the colony to the motherland. Twenty years on from the handover of the British Crown colony, the people...

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Economy

Gold Prices Surge at Start of 2026 as Weak Dollar and Rate-Cut Bets Fuel Demand

Gold prices jumped sharply during Asian trading on Friday, marking a strong start to 2026 after a historic rally last year. Renewed demand for bullion was driven by a weaker U.S. dollar and growing expectations that U.S....

Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Dollar Weakens in Thin New Year Trading

Most Asian currencies traded near flatline levels on Friday as the U.S. dollar edged lower in thin holiday trading at the start of the new year. Reduced market participation across the region kept trading volumes subdued,...

South Korean Won Slides Despite Government Efforts to Stabilize Currency Markets

South Koreas won weakened on the first trading day of the year, slipping against the U.S. dollar despite renewed commitments from monetary and fiscal authorities to stabilize foreign exchange markets. The move highlights...

Asian Stock Markets Start New Year Higher as Tech and AI Shares Drive Gains

Asian stock markets opened the new year on a positive note on Friday, with technology and semiconductor stocks leading gains across the region, despite subdued trading volumes caused by holiday closures in major markets....

Oil Prices Stabilize at Start of 2026 as OPEC+ Policy and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook

Oil prices edged slightly higher on Friday, marking a steadier start to 2026 after suffering their steepest annual decline since 2020. Investors are cautiously balancing renewed geopolitical tensions with expectations that...

Politics

Trump Warns U.S. Ready to Act if Iran Kills Protesters Amid Escalating Unrest

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday issued a strong warning to Iran, saying the United States would intervene if Iranian authorities violently kill peaceful protesters during the countrys growing wave of unrest. In a...

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In as New York City Mayor, Pledges Bold Progressive Agenda

Democrat Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as New York Citys mayor on Thursday, marking the beginning of a new political era focused on affordability, social equity, and progressive reform in the nations largest city....

Xi Jinping to Host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as China Seeks to Strengthen Seoul Ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit beginning Sunday, highlighting Beijings strategic push to strengthen relations with Seoul amid heightened regional tensions...

Russia and Ukraine Trade Accusations Over New Year Attacks as Peace Talks Intensify

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting civilians during New Year attacks, as the nearly four-year-old war continues amid renewed diplomatic efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump. The latest exchange of...

Venezuela Frees More Detainees After 2024 Election Protests Amid Rising U.S. Pressure

Venezuelas government has released 88 additional people who were detained following protests that erupted after the countrys disputed July 2024 presidential election, marking the second large-scale release of detainees in...

Science

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Technology

Baidu Shares Surge as Company Plans Kunlunxin AI Chip Spin-Off and Hong Kong Listing

Baidu shares jumped sharply after the Chinese technology giant announced plans to spin off its artificial intelligence chip unit, Kunlunxin, and pursue a listing in Hong Kong. The move comes as domestic Chinese chipmakers...

Starlink Plans Satellite Orbit Reconfiguration in 2026 to Boost Space Safety

SpaceXs Starlink is preparing a major reconfiguration of its satellite constellation in an effort to improve space safety and reduce the risk of orbital collisions. According to Michael Nicolls, SpaceXs vice president of...

Samsung Signals Comeback With HBM4 Chips as AI Market Heats Up

Samsung Electronics is signaling a strong comeback in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, as customers praise the competitiveness of its next-generation HBM4 chips. In a New Year address, co-CEO and head of the...

Google Accelerates AI Infrastructure With Ironwood TPU Expansion in 2026

Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is preparing for a major expansion of its AI infrastructure in 2026 as it moves its seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), known as Ironwood, into mass deployment. This next phase marks a...

Trump Administration Lifts Sanctions on Three Intellexa-Linked Executives

The administration of President Donald Trump has lifted U.S. sanctions on three executives previously linked to the controversial spyware consortium Intellexa, according to a notice published on the U.S. Treasury...