Mack Williams

Mack Williams is former ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

Mack's recent articles

MACK WILLIAMS. President Duterte and high stakes poker.

Following President Dutertes recent trips to China and Japan he has continued to play his hand in what has become a high stakes poker game with the US and China attracting a growing number of interested onlookers. Despite the twists in his game, which have often been interpreted as wobbles or even backflips by many foreign observers, Duterte has kept his cards close to his chest and tried to stay on course to rebalance The Philippines relationship with the US and China. An axiom for understanding the Philippines domestic scene has always been thanks to a free and hyperactive...

MACK WILLIAMS. Duterte plays the China card

Not surprisingly, President Duterte is proving more than a handful for US policy makers on the eve of his major state visit to China. If he achieves many of the ambitious goals set for the visit , Duterte will be strengthened in his resolve to chart policies away from the traditional Philippines dependence on the US. How far China will be prepared to exploit Duterte's position will be critical for US (and Australian) policy in the South China Sea. But so also it will be for the Philippines' ASEAN partners as Chinas considerable soft power potential in the region will...

MACK WILLIAMS. Here we go again: Julie Bishop and Duterte!

Foreign Minister Bishop's not so gentle rebuke of President Duterte that the Philippines as a claimant state should pull its weight in the South China Sea eerily had all the elements of the earlier Australian approach to the acrimonious bilateral debate between Washington and Manila over the closure of the huge US bases in the Philippines. Much of which occurred in my 5 years as Ambassador there. Driven by our perceived Alliance obligations we were under instructions from Canberra to offer what assistance we could to the US in their debate with the Philippines on the grounds of regional security.

Mack Williams. Abbot's visit to Korea not all about trade!

As Tony Abbotts first time to South Korea (ROK) as Prime Minister this visit carries much more importance than the mercantilist hype in which it has been cloaked. It will certainly will be seen through a much larger prism by his hosts and their brothers across the border. The Korean peninsular is of fundamental strategic importance to Australia as the only place in the world where the national interests of the all major powers intersect and the potential for conflict remains so high. The mozaic of all these interests is extremely complex, demanding close and continuing interest of the...

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