Stephen Dziedzic Returns to the "Hughes News" Podcast: Episode 2

Dear Readers,

My name’s Eleanor Shiori Hughes, and I’m a Non-Resident Fellow for econVue, based in the Washington, DC area. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I recently decided to soft-launch a new podcast called the Hughes News via econVue’s Substack platform. After releasing my first podcast episode in mid-February, I received a deluge of warm messages and kind words of support and enthusiasm for this new endeavor of mine. Thus, I want to thank all of you who’ve reached out to me directly, and I look forward to inviting more podcast guests this year.

This month, I’m excited to share that my mate Stephen Dziedzic from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) decided to return to the podcast just a few weeks after we recorded the first episode. I’m incredibly thankful for his support and nuanced insights he’s shared via the podcast so far on Australia, the Pacific Islands, and related subjects. If you have not done so already, I would highly recommend watching or listening to our previous conversation first because it sets the stage for some of our talking points from this week.

About This Episode

Stephen Dziedzic, Foreign Affairs (Asia - Pacific) reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

❝The Albanese government’s point is that Australian vessels—Navy vessels—undertaking freedom of navigation exercises depend on the Law of the Sea.. They depend on international law and China respecting international law ... Australia needs to hold that principle as sacrosanct and emphasize that above anything else, including perhaps the strategic implications or talking publicly about what signaling China might or might not be engaging in, because international law has to be Australia’s touchstone.

– Stephen Dziedzic reflecting on China’s live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.

This podcast was recorded on Sunday, March 9th, 2025 EST (Monday, March 10th in AEDT).

Here is list of some of the topics that Stephen and I talked about:

• China’s unprecedented live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea in late-February

• The recent release of Australia in the World - 2025 Snapshot, Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in the Pacific, and Australia’s climate policies

• Australia’s upcoming federal elections in May (date is TBD)

• How folks in Canberra are reacting to a Trump nominee’s recent comments about AUKUS and the necessity for Australia to up its defense spending to 3 percent

• The outcomes of the Cook Islands’ new comprehensive strategic partnership with China and why the New Zealand government is unnerved by these developments (see agreements below)

  • Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-2030

  • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation

  • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Blue Partnership in Seabed Minerals Affairs

  • Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation

You can find the audio version of our podcast recording below:

Conclusion

As we stumble through what is undeniably an era of many known unknowns, it’s easy to conclude that once again Stephen and I could have continued this conversation for hours on end. Whether you watch our recording, or listen to the audio version, I hope that you enjoy my wide-ranging discussion with Stephen.

Next week, I will be traveling abroad for a conference, and it could not be more timely. It will undoubtedly be packed with thought-provoking conversations about pressing contemporary geopolitical and global economic dynamics. I look forward to updating you all on that soon.

Thanks so much as always, especially to our econVue subscribers, for regularly engaging with our platform.

Best wishes,

💬 Eleanor

📍Arlington, VA