Kennedy's Camelot still has the power to inspire hope by Stephen Loosley... China is digging an Australia-sized hole for itself

 

A seat at the table For the third year in a row, Australia was invited to attend the G7 Summit. United States Studies Centre (USSC) experts have provided timely analysis on the emerging themes from the summit. As Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr John Lee wrote in The Australian, "It is no coincidence that Australia and India were invited. With the US and Japan, they comprise the Indo-Pacific Quad, the four formidable economic and military powers most committed to counter directly the worst aspects of Chinese behaviour." USSC Director of Trade and Investment Dr Stephen Kirchner also addressed the pre-summit agreement for a global corporate tax minimum of 15 per cent. In commentary for AFR, he wrote this agreement signals President Biden's efforts to return to multilateralism. The increased importance of the Indo-Pacific on the global stage is reinforced not only by the meeting of G7 leaders, but also by NATO and its allies, set to meet in Brussels on 14 June. Working in Rome as one of NATO’s Partners Across the Globe Fellows, USSC Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic is hosting the NATO Expert Talks. The web series, presented by the USSC in partnership with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, will hold the second episode on 29 June and will discuss the outcomes of the NATO Brussels Summit. You can find more details in the events section below or REGISTER HERE.

 

EVENTS

 

WEBINAR | 29 JUNE NATO Expert Talk Series: Outcomes of the NATO Brussels Summit Cybersecurity, defence innovation and climate change in the military are all on the agenda for NATO’s Brussels Summit on 14 June. But with NATO placing unprecedented attention on the Indo-Pacific, what are the summit’s implications for Australia? What will NATO's defence innovations mean for the Indo-Pacific? How can Australia work with NATO to strengthen cyber defences? To discuss these issues, please join us for a webinar event with NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy James Appathurai in discussion with USSC Lecturer and NATO Defense College Partners Across the Globe Fellow Dr Gorana Grgic. WHEN: Tuesday 29 June, 5pm AEST (Sydney) Tuesday 29 June, 9am CEST (Brussels/Rome) COST: Free but registration is essential. You can also subscribe to have event invitations and reminders sent straight to your inbox, so you never have to miss an event!

 

CENTRE NEWS

 

USSC intern presentations On 1 June, USSC's semester 1 interns gave a presentation of their research projects to USSC staff. Foreign Policy and Defence Intern Sophie Mayo addressed China’s Maritime Activities in the Southwest Pacific - A Vector to Influence Building and Grey Zone Coercion, giving a robust overview of changing dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Intern Lilly Gibson-Dougall covered: Hidden in plain sight: analysing the resurgence of the United States militia movement, following her research of far-right extremism this semester. Interested in becoming a USSC intern? If you are a current American Studies student with the University of Sydney, you can apply now to become an intern in Semester 2 or as a December intensive. Contact our Student Support Officer Madelyne Cummings by emailing madelyne.cummings@sydney.edu.au for more information.

 

In the news PM to discuss regional tensions, travel bubble with Singapore En route to the G7 summit in the United Kingdom where he is set to have his first in-person meeting with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Scott Morrison stopped over in Singapore to meet with his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. Ashley Townshend, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, spoke to AFR about both Australia and Singapore's ties to the United States. READ MORE China bars diplomats from Australian writer Yang Hengjun’s espionage trial The Wall Street Journal reports that Chinese authorities have denied Australian diplomats access to the trial of an Australian writer accused of espionage in a case that has exacerbated tensions between the two nations. The article quotes USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr John Lee. READ MORE 'Do not come, do not come': Why the Biden administration's blunt message to migrants sounds familiar to Australia Controversy over the US-Mexico border continue to cause backlash for the Biden administration, with remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris during an official visit to Guatemala attracting criticism. Speaking to SBS, Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe highlighted the comparison between the US immigration debate and the rhetoric around asylum seekers in Australia.

 

USSC IMHO While China tensions and US politics around the Middle East remained front of mind this past month, the floating of Caroline Kennedy as potential US ambassador to Australia kicked off a wave of speculation. Here are a selection of recent op-eds written by our team: ·         Kennedy's Camelot still has the power to inspire hope by Stephen Loosley. Published by The Australian. ·         A seat at the table For the third year in a row, Australia was invited to attend the G7 Summit. United States Studies Centre (USSC) experts have provided timely analysis on the emerging themes from the summit. As Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr John Lee wrote in The Australian, "It is no coincidence that Australia and India were invited. With the US and Japan, they comprise the Indo-Pacific Quad, the four formidable economic and military powers most committed to counter directly the worst aspects of Chinese behaviour." USSC Director of Trade and Investment Dr Stephen Kirchner also addressed the pre-summit agreement for a global corporate tax minimum of 15 per cent. In commentary for AFR, he wrote this agreement signals President Biden's efforts to return to multilateralism. The increased importance of the Indo-Pacific on the global stage is reinforced not only by the meeting of G7 leaders, but also by NATO and its allies, set to meet in Brussels on 14 June. Working in Rome as one of NATO’s Partners Across the Globe Fellows, USSC Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic is hosting the NATO Expert Talks. The web series, presented by the USSC in partnership with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, will hold the second episode on 29 June and will discuss the outcomes of the NATO Brussels Summit. You can find more details in the events section below or REGISTER HERE.   EVENTS   WEBINAR | 29 JUNE NATO Expert Talk Series: Outcomes of the NATO Brussels Summit Cybersecurity, defence innovation and climate change in the military are all on the agenda for NATO’s Brussels Summit on 14 June. But with NATO placing unprecedented attention on the Indo-Pacific, what are the summit’s implications for Australia? What will NATO's defence innovations mean for the Indo-Pacific? How can Australia work with NATO to strengthen cyber defences? To discuss these issues, please join us for a webinar event with NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy James Appathurai in discussion with USSC Lecturer and NATO Defense College Partners Across the Globe Fellow Dr Gorana Grgic. WHEN: Tuesday 29 June, 5pm AEST (Sydney) Tuesday 29 June, 9am CEST (Brussels/Rome) COST: Free but registration is essential. You can also subscribe to have event invitations and reminders sent straight to your inbox, so you never have to miss an event!     CENTRE NEWS   USSC intern presentations On 1 June, USSC's semester 1 interns gave a presentation of their research projects to USSC staff. Foreign Policy and Defence Intern Sophie Mayo addressed China’s Maritime Activities in the Southwest Pacific - A Vector to Influence Building and Grey Zone Coercion, giving a robust overview of changing dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Intern Lilly Gibson-Dougall covered: Hidden in plain sight: analysing the resurgence of the United States militia movement, following her research of far-right extremism this semester. Interested in becoming a USSC intern? If you are a current American Studies student with the University of Sydney, you can apply now to become an intern in Semester 2 or as a December intensive. Contact our Student Support Officer Madelyne Cummings by emailing madelyne.cummings@sydney.edu.au for more information.   In the news PM to discuss regional tensions, travel bubble with Singapore En route to the G7 summit in the United Kingdom where he is set to have his first in-person meeting with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Scott Morrison stopped over in Singapore to meet with his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. Ashley Townshend, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, spoke to AFR about both Australia and Singapore's ties to the United States. READ MORE China bars diplomats from Australian writer Yang Hengjun’s espionage trial The Wall Street Journal reports that Chinese authorities have denied Australian diplomats access to the trial of an Australian writer accused of espionage in a case that has exacerbated tensions between the two nations. The article quotes USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr John Lee. READ MORE 'Do not come, do not come': Why the Biden administration's blunt message to migrants sounds familiar to Australia Controversy over the US-Mexico border continue to cause backlash for the Biden administration, with remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris during an official visit to Guatemala attracting criticism. Speaking to SBS, Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe highlighted the comparison between the US immigration debate and the rhetoric around asylum seekers in Australia.   USSC IMHO While China tensions and US politics around the Middle East remained front of mind this past month, the floating of Caroline Kennedy as potential US ambassador to Australia kicked off a wave of speculation. Here are a selection of recent op-eds written by our team: ·         Kennedy's Camelot still has the power to inspire hope by Stephen Loosley. Published by The Australian. ·         China is digging an Australia-sized hole for itself by John Lee. Published by The Hill. ·         US Democrats and Labor converge on Israel and Palestine by Bruce Wolpe. Published by The Canberra Times.   by John Lee. Published by The Hill. ·         US Democrats and Labor converge on Israel and Palestine by Bruce Wolpe. Published by The Canberra Times.