Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Donna Weeks
Japan: After the Upper House election, what comes next, who’s next in line
Post-election, Ishiba Shigeru continues to appear on television screens as the incumbent Prime Minister of Japan. The sheen of perspiration on his brow is not just the heat of this extraordinarily hot summer, but shows the pressure he is under following the election result on 20 July. Despite efforts to claim the successful outcome of tariff negotiations with the Trump administration in Washington as a sign of his leadership strength, the Ishiba critics continue to raise their voices.
Upper House election exposes Japan’s fragmenting political landscape
Passing through Immigration and Customs at Narita Airport outside Tokyo on Sunday night was the quickest it has been for a few years. The usual winding lines of tired travellers were non-existent as I made my way through the airport and on into town. The atmosphere this time was remarkable because I was walking into an Upper House election campaign which had been fought largely on a “Japanese People First” platform promoted by new conservative party, Sanseito.
At a G7 summit high on ambition, nuclear disarmament takes a backseat to Zelensky's diplomatic appeals
© 2023 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
At a G7 Summit high on ambition, nuclear disarmament takes a backseat to Zelensky's diplomatic appeals
Hiroshima, the site of this year’s G7 summit, is one of a handful of places in the world that reminds us so starkly of the horrors of wars. The A-bomb Dome in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, for example, is one of few structures left standing in the neighbourhoods that were flattened by the atomic blast in August 1945. Around the city, there are also “survivor trees” from the blast and burn marks on temple stoneware and statues – reminders of how far and wide it radiated.
Japan’s Article 9: Pacifism and protests as defence budget doubles
Golden Week in Japan is so-named for the coincidence of public holidays starting at the end of April and continuing through until 5 May. In a good year, and in between weekends, you can take almost ten days away from the office. In 2023, although Covid continues to make its presence known, with most masking and distancing recommendations all but lifted, this year was the first in a few years that people could travel and enjoy the break.
The shadow of Abe
From the breaking news notification in Japanese media around 11:30 in the morning on 8 July to vision a few days later of his hearse driving by the institutions of party and government in Tokyo’s political district Nagatacho that Abe Shinzo was shaped by and that he ultimately re-shaped during his tenure as Prime Minister, the sense of shock across the nation remained palpable.
What Australians fear with China pressing in the Pacific
The 2022 Lowy Poll of Australian public opinion shows that a record nine out of ten Australians feel the Australia-United States alliance under the ANZUS arrangement is critical to their security. Commitments under ANZUS remain strong. That’s good news. Yet just as many people reported feeling concerned about security in their region, encompassing the Pacific. It’s an understandable anxiety considering the recent signing of a bilateral security agreement between China and Solomon Islands.
DONNA WEEKS | GRIFFITH FROM TOKYO
It is now approaching two weeks since the Federal Election and though not yet formally declared, we have a sense of what the new government will look like. I was supposed to be home for the 2022 election. I had voted in the 2016 and 2019 elections, from Tokyo during what was going to be a short-term stint overseas. Covid restrictions meant extending that stay.
Albanese steps cautiously through the Quad wrangle
The staff at the neighbourhood convenience store here in Tokyo are always amused when I drop by to pick up four or five papers in the morning. That I have done it twice this week has led to some laughs at the cash register. Monday was to look at the reporting of the Australian election result, reading up knowing that the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong were on the plane to Japan for their first significant international meeting, the “Quad” talks.
What went wrong? How Morrison lost control of the khaki election
Two of the most recognised concepts from the great Prussian philosopher of war, Karl von Clausewitz are friction and chance. Clausewitz noted that friction “includes all those surprising things” that happen that make “even the simplest thing difficult”. Chance, meanwhile, is where “guesswork and luck come to play”. In Australia’s 2022 election campaign, friction and chance have proven to be crippling to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government in debates over national security.
Chinese bases in the Pacific: A reality check
There was barely concealed panic in Australia when news broke that China had struck a security agreement with Solomon Islands. What if this is really a basing deal that allows China to station military aircraft or warships permanently? Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s emphatic denial on this point seemed to make little difference.
Glasgow delivered, but what, exactly?
The Glasgow climate conference – the 26th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Climate Convention – was held in uniquely difficult circumstances compared to its 25 predecessors: during a global pandemic, facing a two-year backlog of work due to its postponement from 2020 and with the collective failure of developed countries to deliver US$100 billion in climate finance per year haunting the proceedings.
Tokyo2020+1 wraps up as Japan’s next race begins
No sooner was the Paralympic flame extinguished, with the athletes filing out of Tokyo’s National Stadium for one last time, that all sporting psephologists turned their eyes to the next big race, the runners positioning themselves for the sprint to become Japan’s next leader. The date of formal nomination and “campaigning” is 17 September, with the vote held on 29 September, the day before the current Covid-induced State of Emergency is due to expire.
Matching strategic and defence policy to the climate challenge
Australia is experiencing a series of cascading crises. While the most immediate is the Covid-19 pandemic, the global and regional strategic order in which it has so comfortably lived for decades is currently undergoing a significant shift. These compounding crises have challenged policy frameworks and response capacity. But the largest and most consequential crisis that Australia faces is climate change. In magnitude and consequence, climate change is potentially much more significant.
Conversation with Richard Haass
In conversation with leading US foreign policy practitioner and thinker Richard Haass, the President of the Council on Foreign Relations. Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove speaks with Dr Haass about President Biden’s foreign policy, China, Russia and the international implications of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Richard Haass is a veteran diplomat, a prominent voice on American foreign policy, and an established leader of nonprofit institutions.
Life in a host city, at home, live-streaming the Olympics
One of the unexpected benefits of studying abroad for an extended period is the new perspective it brings to understanding your own country. Certainly, my first two years of study abroad in Tokyo the 1980s, in pre-internet times, taught me things about Australia that I didn’t know, like just how small we were on an international stage.
Economic diplomacy: Little Australia spends slowly in the Pacific
Baby BRIs It is now almost three years since Prime Minister Scott Morrison muscled up to China’s infrastructure building Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with $3 billion in varied funding to create an Australian alternative mostly in the Pacific. So, it was notable to see that when the Council of the European Union stepped up into this territory on Monday there was no mention of Australia.
Postcard from Tokyo 2020+1
My university campus sits amid several Olympic venues and the international media centre, down by the ports on Tokyo Bay. From my tenth floor office, I can observe the construction of the second Olympic flame plinth and across the port, the island where canoeing events will be held. On the other side of my building is the tennis centre and a little further beyond, the Athletes’ Village, skateboard park and swimming centre.
Under pressure on the Olympics, Japan's prime minister is saying little and hoping for a political lifesaver
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is probably a little relieved the G7 Summit came when it did. Before departing for the UK at the end of last week, Suga had been subjected to three days of intense scrutiny in the Diet, Japan’s parliament, over the Tokyo Olympics and the country’s slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
State of mind: How Australians see the pandemic and efforts to help
The Australian public are rightly proud of their efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost all Australians – 95% – believe Australia has handled the pandemic well, according to new Lowy Institute polling released today. This is for good reason. Despite the slow vaccine rollout, Australia has consistently ranked as one of the best performers in the world. And Australians see our efforts as miles ahead of most other countries.
Russia wants to be a power to be reckoned with in the Indian Ocean
February this year was marked by a heightened Russian naval activity in the Indian Ocean. Russian naval task groups drawn from the Baltic and Black Sea fleets took part in two international naval exercises – one with Iran and another as part of Pakistan-led multilateral exercise AMAN 21.
Do politicians really make “excellent envoys”?
The Interpreter has kept its eyes on political appointees to Australia’s diplomatic posts. Daniel Flitton’s most recent piece ended with the observation that the government should better explain why politicians make “excellent envoys”. The government explanation is likely to be, in the most diplomatic terms, “referred back to full committee”. So in the meantime, let’s take a look at the debate. Those in support of political appointees emphasise three interconnected arguments.
Japan-Australia: The chance to sweeten the deal
Typically, much of the initial foreign policy interest in a new (or slightly revised) Japanese government tends to look towards the United States – to consider the adjustments necessary to the alliance, to plan the first face-to-face meeting, to determine the nickname that will characterise the two leaders’ “personal” relationship in the style of Ron-Yasu through to Don-Shinzo. But this is 2020, and the rules and norms are not as they once were.
In Bangladesh, Covid adds to a list of maladies
The Covid-19 situation has had a devastating effect on the local economy, the brunt being borne by the country’s export-oriented garments industry. It has propelled owners of various businesses – and that includes the media sector – into showing employees the door, and with rising unemployment follows idleness, and broader consequences unimagined. Official statistics place the number of those affected by the coronavirus, so far, in Bangladesh almost 360,000.
Bougainville: A new captain at the helm
Following weeks of anticipation, the people of Bougainville woke on Wednesday to news of a new president-elect. Former Bougainville Revolutionary Army Commander Ishmael Toroama, from Central Bougainville, will take up the mantle of president from John Momis. Toroama was a popular contender from the start of the elections, with a voter commenting on social media that he is the “people’s choice”.
Suga steps in, at least for now
While much has been made of Shinzo Abe’s record-breaking term as Japan’s prime minister, his new successor, Yoshihide Suga, held his role as Chief Cabinet Secretary for the same record length of time – seven years and eight months. As Chief Cabinet Secretary, he has had a high public profile as the government spokesperson, fronting the press almost daily, answering questions, fending off accusations, a guardsman for his prime minister and the government.
Economic diplomacy: A headless WTO, selling the Asian farm
New world order The leadership of the World Trade Organisation may be the first test of whether the world can move on with normal life amid the divisions and recriminations as the US recovers from a bitter election.
Beyond Covid, the chance for a broader Australia-Japan relationship
If Prime Minister Abe Shinzo reads the Lowy Institute poll, it might have provided about the only fillip to his recent political fortunes. He would have no doubt been pleased that a constituency, somewhere, thought rather highly of his leadership. In recent weeks, Abe’s polls in Japan, across most of the leading outlets, have seen a drop in satisfaction or popularity of him and his cabinet (depending on the phrasing of the question).
Panel Discussion: Sectarianism and civil society in Indonesia (Sydney)
Matthew Busch, Research Fellow, East Asia Program at Lowy Institute and special guests Rahimah “Ima” Abdulrahim, Executive Director of The Habibie Centre, Jakarta, and Sandra Hamid, Indonesia Country Representative for The Asia Foundation, had a discussion about Indonesia in an era of vigorous electoral competition and growing sectarianism.
Japan: Shinzo Abe wrestles with constitutional change
Wednesday 29 November in Tokyo, and the morning's breaking news was not Kim Jong-Un firing another missile but that sumo grand champion Haruma Fuji had announced his retirement following a week of scandal surrounding an alleged attack on a junior wrestler. As the two stories played out in the media during the day, the priority on the sumo scandal was symbolic of the attention paid to North Korea’s missiles. It seems the further away you are from Pyongyang, the more attention Kim garners.
Abe gambles on a stoic Japanese electorate
With his dynastic heritage, five years of assertive nationalism as Prime Minister, and eponymous brand of economics, Shinzo Abe warrants a seat at the top table of global conservative politics. But in his rush to an early election this week the Japanese leader will be counting on a boost from the autarkic regime in North Korea and is hoping to cling to power in a way reminiscent of that comparatively modest conservative leader, New Zealand's Bill English.
Australian Institute of International Affairs
There is clearly a demand for the histories of Australians’ experiences in war. In 2015 we observed the centenary of Gallipoli and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Along with the various official recollections of what went on behind the lines, we are increasingly exposed to ‘other’ stories, rich narratives that fill in the spaces. McDonald’s painstakingly researched book is one of these.
What to make of Abe's Pearl Harbor visit
In May this year, US President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima, the first serving president to do so. At the end of this month, on 26 and 27 December, Japan’s Prime Minister Abe will visit Pearl Harbor (though whether he is the first serving Japanese prime minister to do so is subject to some conjecture). Is the planned visit a simple return diplomatic gesture? Or is it part of a grander strategy on the part of Abe?
Will Tokyo elect its first female governor?
On 31 July, just over 11 million voters in Tokyo will be asked to return to the ballot boxes to vote for a new governor. This will happen just three weeks after the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government under Shinzo Abe was returned to power in the upper house. Much attention has been given to the momentum for constitutional change that this result brings. The impact of a younger cohort of voters on the election, with the recent lowering of the voting age to 18, also drew interest.
How has Japan reacted to its failed bid to build Australia's new submarines?
The decision on who would build Australia’s next generation of submarines carried just as much anticipation in Japan as it did in Australia. A successful tender would embolden Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to enhance his brand of “active pacifism”. This is a more assertive approach to defence but “with Japanese characteristics”.
Palmer misses the party as PUPs struggle to be heard in Queensland
It’s been a surprisingly muted campaign from the Palmer United Party (PUP) ahead of Queensland’s January 31 poll – and on Sunday, the man who started it all couldn’t even make it to his own party. At the 2013 federal election, you could hardly turn on your TV, go to your letterbox or drive up a major highway in southeast Queensland without seeing Clive Palmer’s beaming face on a bright yellow background.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Donna
Contact Donna, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack