Our upcoming areas of research 

Following are some of our key upcoming research areas that our team will be targeting under each of our 4 "Pillars of Research":

Economy & Trade

1. Is China's official growth target of 5% for 2025 realistic, given the current geopolitical climate? What might be the adjusted forecasts for the key sectors influencing Australia?

2. As we approach the 10th anniversary of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), it's an opportune moment to reflect on how the Australian economy has transformed over this period. A retrospective analysis on which industries thrived under ChAFTA and which industries faced challenges.

3. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reported a trade volume growth of 6.4% in 2024. What are the projections for 2025, and how will its influence cascade into Australia's trade?

Security & Geopolitics

1. How might Australia's defense strategy develop over the next decade in response to the prevailing trajectory of U.S. protectionist policies and the continued ascendancy of China?

2. We will examine various scenarios in which the conflict between the U.S. and China escalates. What is the likelihood of proxy wars, similar to those during the Cold War? If such conflicts arise, how will they impact Australia and our regional security?

3. What future economic & security equilibrium might we achieve in Australia if both the U.S. and China are able to compete fairly within a rule-based order? What insights can we gain from that future projection of a sustainable bipolar world to drive change now?

Bilateral Relations

1. A review of Australian industries and sectors that have faced foreign investment restrictions or limitations on direct Chinese investments. Are these limitations still justified?

2. In which sectors and industries does Australia heavily depend on China? What strategies can Australia adopt to diversify and build greater resilience in these areas? Conversely, in which sectors should Australia further increase its reliance and collaboration with China?
   

3. In November 2024, Beijing extended visa-free travel rights for Australians to 30 days to encourage more tourism and cultural exchanges. However, the Smartraveler is still warning Australians to "exercise a high degree of caution" in China, thereby discouraging tourism into China. Is this warning justified?

Technology, Science & Climate Action

1. The U.S. and Europe have blamed Chinese overcapacity in EV manufacturing for the influx of cheaper EVs into their markets. Is there evidence of this Chinese overcapacity, or is it a matter of the lack of competitiveness of U.S. and European EV industry?

2. Trump has once again withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, potentially making it a permanent withdrawal and thereby handing climate leadership to China. With the U.S. stepping back, could this create new market opportunities for Australia to engage and collaborate with China on renewable energy projects?

3. The Chinese AI breakthrough, DeepSeek, has generated both excitement and security concerns. Can we quantify the security concerns? What foreign investment opportunities exist for Australian businesses to leverage this technology?

4. China appears to have already peaked its carbon emissions. With its accelerated clean-energy transition, China seems on track to meet its climate goals six years ahead of schedule. Should Australia review the restrictions on Chinese foreign investments in this sector so we could leverage China's leadership in the clean-energy transition?