Peter Hartcher
Peter Hartcher is political editor and international editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Opinion
How Putin and Xi are putting Western might to the test
America and its allies have no appetite for a war with Russia, yet that is also a message to China: that US hegemony is finished.
- by Peter Hartcher
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Aggressors working together: UK’s Truss warns China could follow Russia into war
China could use a Russian invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to launch aggression of its own in the Indo-Pacific, Liz Truss has warned.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Omicron threatens to tip Morrison’s path to victory over a cliff
If the new variant turns out to be a savage one, Morrison’s hopes plunge into the abyss.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
The dark side of China’s breakthrough on digital currencies
It would be entirely consistent for Beijing to use its monopoly control of the digital yuan as another layer in its “techno authoritarianism” for use at home and abroad.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Laid up by saboteurs and COVID: Barnaby Joyce in Washington
The Deputy Prime Minister’s predicament in the US isn’t a bad approximation for the state of Australia, circa late 2021.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
US can’t win two wars at once: Joe Biden’s worst nightmare
It is a chilling prospect for a US that is unable to fight wars on two major fronts: China and Russia conducting separate invasions of Taiwan and Ukraine, but co-ordinating their timing.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Why Albanese is playing a dead bat
Scott Morrison will keep bowling up scare campaigns to put voters off Labor. The Opposition Leader’s strategy in reply? Don’t be scary. Labor will avoid spooking voters, even if that disappoints the party’s true believers.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
There’s gold in the Solomon Islands, but not for the people who live there
Living standards are going nowhere, while locals accuse foreign corporations and politicians of getting rich.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
The nation is rudderless in the face of growing storm
Extremists are advancing violent radical agendas under cover of anti-vax and anti-lockdown protests. And the Prime Minister is playing tribal chief instead of leader.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Kidnapping of Peng Shuai makes stand on Winter Olympics almost irresistible
If President Biden announces a diplomatic boycott of the Games, other nations will follow.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Morrison may lie, but his real test is not honesty - it’s about trust
Voters thought John Howard had lied to them, too, but in 2004 they trusted him to run the country more than the alternative ... until they didn’t in 2007.
- by Peter Hartcher