Adam Simpson

Japan’s economy needs foreign workers, not the nationalist approach pushed by its new leader Sanae Takaichi has voiced anti-immigrant policies at a time when Japan’s population continues to fall, threatening economic stagnation.

My thoughts on the new Japanese PM - she might be more pragmatic once in office but with a conservative coalition partner there will be pressure to toe the right-wing populist line
theconversation.com/japans-econo...

Thailand has a new PM, again. Here’s my analysis in @aunz.theconversation.com published a few minutes after the parliamentary vote on Friday. It took around 47 different drafts last week following the usual twists and turns of Thai politics

I’m currently in Seoul. My new article in the Conversation has just come out: ‘These developments mean #SouthKorea & its allies will need to deal with a much more battle-hardened and technologically advanced #NorthKorea military … its antiquated systems are being rapidly transformed’

My article just published in the Conversation on latest shenanigans regarding #Myanmar’s deeply flawed elections, its rare earths and the (no real) options for extraction by the #Trump administration

My thoughts for the Conversation on Sunday’s result in #Poland’s presidential vote: ‘As in other recent global elections, women and those with higher formal education voted progressive (#Trzaskowski), while men and those with less formal education voted conservative (#Nawrocki)’

The future of nuclear after Coalition's election loss - The Wire Labor’s opposition to nuclear energy, and push to renewables, was one defining policy of the election, reflecting broader shifts in...

I gave a short interview for The Wire radio program on the #Coalition’s #nuclear policy - the party room is moving regional and conservative. ‘Unelectable’ would be another word for it. www.thewire.org.au/story/the-fu...

Is nuclear dead? Signs Coalition's policy isn't buried despite election loss The Liberals and Nationals will review their policy platforms as they assess their sweeping election defeat, which resulted in Labor claiming a majority government.

I was interviewed by SBS News on the #Coalition’s #nuclear policy: if they keep a pro-nuclear policy for 2028 I argued ‘it would cause "further devastation" within its remaining metropolitan seats and push the Coalition into the "electoral wilderness" for a generation’
www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

Nuclear should be dead after the Coalition loss. But it might live on If conservative Nationals prevail, we may well see nuclear policy survive the election post-mortem and be resurrected for the next poll.

A nice republish of my post-election nuclear policy article by The New Daily www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...

Here’s my analysis in the Conversation on the wash up after the Australian election. The final point is that ‘given the new power of the Nationals and regional Liberals in the party room, we may not have seen the last of nuclear fantasies in Australia.’

My latest for the Conversation on academic freedom under attack in Thailand and the links to Trumpland: ‘In the future, universities in Thailand, as in the US, will find it harder to attract international talent. Universities – and the broader society – in both countries will be worse off for it’

'Puny': US sends three-person disaster team to Myanmar after USAID gutted The United States is sending a three-person disaster response team to earthquake-stricken Myanmar, days after much larger contingents from China and Russia began pulling people out of the rubble.

I was interviewed by ABC News on the impact of #USAID cuts and US response to the #Myanmar earthquake: Dr Simpson said the US would remain a major global power and economy 4 some time
“but the evidence of its trajectory towards isolation and diminution is irrefutable”
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04...

Thousands are feared dead in Myanmar’s quake. Trump’s USAID cuts will cause even more unnecessary deaths USAID accounted for a third of Myanmar’s foreign aid last year. Now, this funding is gone as the country grapples with a devastating earthquake.

Just had this published analysing the disastrous earthquake that hit #Myanmar and its neighbours. We all know that Trump’s #USAID cuts mean more people will die. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar theconversation.com/thousands-ar...

Four years Post Coup, Myanmar's Opposition Forces score Strategic Victories As Myanmar’s civil war continues, new reports reveal opposition forces have scored major territorial victories over the military junta. Coupled with a full-blown economic and humanitarian crisis, the...

Here’s the full version of my recent interview on #Myanmar which played on 4ZZZ. It allowed more time to delve into the details of the current conflict as well as the historical background, e.g. British colonialism and democracy 4zzz.org.au/news/four-ye...

‘We have nothing now’: Myanmar’s exiled media face existential crisis after Trump severs aid Organisations that take extreme risks to document atrocities, corruption and war crimes fear for their future after USAid cuts

Brilliant work by the Trump administration supporting free speech and democracy www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Four years after the coup, Myanmar still in the grips of civil war - The Wire As Myanmar’s civil war continues, new reports reveal opposition forces have scored territorial victories over the military junta. Coupled with...

I was recently interviewed by The Wire current affairs radio program for this episode on the 4th anniversary of the Myanmar coup. The program is available to more than 200 radio stations around Australia www.thewire.org.au/story/four-y...

Some good exposure for my earlier article eviscerating #Dutton’s #nuclear policy which has a full page spread in the Conversation’s Quarterly Impact Report after a follow up interview with AAP and use by GetUp! in their social media campaign

Consequences:
Tesla's sales plummet across Europe
Registrations in Germany fall 59% amid consumer backlash against Musk's political activism
Tesla’s drop came as the German EV market in January grew more than 50 per cent YoY, pushing its market share down from 14 to 4%

Go Zoe! 🤗

My latest on the 4th anniversary of the #Myanmar coup: ‘Even if the junta can be ousted, creating a workable federal system that involves power-sharing among the complex patchwork of ethnic groups will be a difficult task. How to reintegrate nearly a million Rohingya is another daunting challenge.’

Nuclear tactics pitch politics over policy, say experts With the coalition's nuclear policy facing staunch opposition from the scientific community and state governments, experts debate its...

I was interviewed by AAP about the Coalition’s #nuclear power policy and gave it the treatment it deserved, arguing the plan is unlikely to "ever see the light of day in Australia". The article was published in the Canberra Times & 75 regional outlets. www.canberratimes.com.au/story/886965...

My latest with esteemed colleague Juliette McIntyre in @eastasiaforum on the ICC Prosecutor’s #Myanmar decision: ‘this case demonstrates that a measure of justice still might be achieved through international courts in a world increasingly driven by nationalism & the principle of ‘might is right’’

My latest article in @aunz.theconversation.com on #China private security companies in #Myanmar: As the recent fall of the Syria regime demonstrates authoritarian regimes facing widespread militant opposition can fall quickly .. backing a brutal regime can leave military and economic assets stranded

Just reposting my recent article on elections in #Moldova and #Georgia since AusNZ @aunz.theconversation.com is now on BlueSky 😊

Some good news

Chinese security firms in Myanmar spark fears of escalating civil war Analysts warn that Chinese personnel could be caught in the conflict, while the move further complicates efforts to secure control of key economic areas.

Yes, true, but there are always strict word counts which limit what can be included so I was focusing on the big two who are supplying military hardware to massacre civilians. I mention India, Thailand and Bangladesh in my interview for this article just published 😊 amp.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

The countries fuelling Myanmar's civil war - 360 China has the biggest influence on Myanmar’s civil strife but Russia also has sway, supplying arms to the military junta. As opposition forces continue to rack up battlefield victories over Myanmar’s ...

This is the second of two articles I was invited to contribute to a special report on #Myanmar’s civil war for 360. 360info.org/the-countrie...

Who is fighting the military junta in Myanmar and can they win? - 360 Myanmar’s ruling junta is currently vulnerable after sustained fighting by a range of dissident groups, so who are the groups behind the recent unrest? Since a military coup in 2021, Myanmar has desce...

This is the first of two articles I was invited to contribute to a special report on #Myanmar’s civil war for 360. Good to see an outlet putting some effort into publicising this conflict. 360info.org/who-is-fight...

Chinese security firms in Myanmar spark fears of escalating civil war Analysts warn that Chinese personnel could be caught in the conflict, while the move further complicates efforts to secure control of key economic areas.

I was interviewed by the South China Morning Post for this article looking at Chinese private military corporations being deployed in #Myanmar to protect Chinese assets and strategic interests. Potentially turning Myanmar into something of a quagmire for China. amp.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

My latest article in @lowyinstitute Interpreter on the other presidential election this week in Moldova & parliamentary elections last week in Georgia: www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...

What’s at stake in elections in Georgia and Moldova this week: a stark choice between Russia and the West While many people in Moldova and Georgia support closer integration with Europe, Russia’s efforts to interfere in the votes has the potential to destabilise both countries.

My latest article for @theconversation.bsky.social on the important elections in Georgia and Moldova this week: ‘These elections in Georgia and Moldova are crucial for reinforcing democratic rights in vulnerable former Soviet states.’ theconversation.com/whats-at-sta...