Australia’s Diplomatic Network Smaller Than Its Economic Power: Index

Australia’s diplomatic footprint remained undersized relative to its economic weight, with its network having a similar size to Portugal, Chile, and Pakistan, a think tank report has shown. The Global Diplomacy Index, launched in 2016 by the Lowy Institute, aims to provide insights into countries’ official overseas presence, and where they sought to wield it to build influence. It shows Australia and New Zealand have experienced the fastest growth rate of any region in the world in terms of hosting new foreign diplomatic posts. Despite having the 14th largest economy in the world, Australia ranked 26th on the index, with its diplomatic footprint near the bottom of the G20, ahead of only South Africa....