The passing of my distinguished predecessor, Sir Leslie Colin Patterson deserves a tribute. (more…)
Jocelyn Chey
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China has put the US in the “too hard” basket
“Keep Calm and Carry On” posters should be put up in all Canberra government departments. The British Ministry of Information produced the original of this meme in 1939 to prevent public panic about widely predicted German air attacks. A new version is needed in Australia in 2023 to counter fears of imminent invasion and subversion by China. (more…)
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The defence establishment and Fairfax take on China
Hysteria over a supposed immediate China threat is being peddled by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in the first of a series of three reports titled Red Alert. Not since Menzies’s days, have we seen anything like the papers’ dramatic image of an air force fleet emerging from a supersized China to dominate a tiny Australia. This is ridiculous beyond belief. (more…)
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Whom can we trust? some reflections on social trends in China and Australia
China continues to lead the world in trust, according to the influential Edelman Trust Barometer. The 2023 latest survey repeats similar previous rankings and gives the lie to commentators who continually maintain that the Communist Party of China is losing its legitimacy in the eyes of its citizens. (more…)
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Australia, Penny Wong and the UK: shades of empire?
Foreign Minister Penny Wong invoked the power of shared colonial histories in a speech during her recent visit to the United Kingdom. (more…)
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The tale of the Rabbit and the Tiger: China 2023
The Lunar New Year comes early in 2023, and the incoming Year of the Rabbit offers possibilities of significant changes in personal and national fortunes. Those responsible for formulating Australia’s China policy are advised to watch developments carefully and be flexible in their responses. (more…)
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Half a century: Australia, China and the United Nations
On December 21 it will be fifty years since Australia established diplomatic relations with China. The anniversary has already been marked by several events across the country. It is also prompting some reflections in the media. Many draw comparisons between 1972 and 2022, noting that in both years there were significant shifts in Australian foreign policy. (more…)
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The party decides: review of the CCP National Congress
More of the same. That’s the outcome of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which concluded at the weekend. The implication for Australia is that we had better get used to it. (more…)
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China: How do I fear thee? Let me count the ways
A deep-seated ontological fear is complicating any possible moves towards restoring some semblance of normality in relations with China. There are many strands in this tangled skein. Let me try to pick some of them apart. (more…)
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The Defence Strategic Review: China is not a military threat
Australia’s defence policy is based on an assumed “China Threat”. If this assumption is maintained, it will be used to justify increased defence spending and a closer defence engagement with the United States and other “like-minded” countries, including Quad and AUKUS partners. (more…)
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What to do about the Treasure Island of Taiwan
“Sir, with no intention to take offence, I deny your right to put words into my mouth,” Captain Smollett said in Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island. (more…)
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When words matter: Reviewing the Wong-Wang meeting
Failure to recognise linguistic nuances partly explains the misinterpretation of the meeting by Birtles and other journalists. (more…)
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China’s peace keeping soft power and its new MOOTW regulations
On 15 June President Xi Jinping signed into force new regulations regarding China’s Military Operations Other Than War usually abbreviated as MOOTW. Eryk Bagshaw of the Sydney Morning Herald immediately declared them to be “an expansion of his country’s military capabilities, giving the defence forces the power to protect its interests abroad”. The Herald offers its readers consistent negative reporting on China, but in this case Bagshaw also displayed an unfortunate superficial understanding of the country and of the principles and practice of MOOTW. (more…)
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Dogfight over the Paracels: Is this how to avoid a Third World War?
The dogfight may belong to the days of the Red Baron, but close aerial manoeuvres are still dangerous and can quickly escalate. Let us hope that is not going to happen between China and Australia. (more…)
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Bachelet in China: Insights into Human Rights and Xinjiang
UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet’s recent visit to China did not impress an international press that has made the treatment of the mainly Muslim Uighur people of Xinjiang province a major ground for the West’s political attacks on China. Their negative comments have missed the main point of the visit, which has opened a new avenue for valuable dialogue. (more…)
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Bachelet in China: Will the truth about Xinjiang be uncovered?
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet arrived in China on 22 May, the first such high-level visit since 2005. During her six days in China she will visit the far west province of Xinjiang where the Uighur minority people have been subject to several rights violations, as admitted by her office last year. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on 22 May that Bachelet’s visit was private and was “to enhance exchanges and cooperation… and promote the international cause of human rights.” (more…)
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The Taiwan dilemma: A stark choice
American foreign policy seems to be moving inexorably towards recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign nation. This would greatly heighten the danger of armed conflict between the US and China and would make Taiwan not more but less secure. The incoming Australian Foreign Minister should consider policy options and their long-term consequences carefully, for our sake and also for Taiwan. (more…)
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“South Flows the Pearl” Book launch speech about Chinese Australian voices
Chinese people have been in this country almost as long as the British. …Unfortunately, from the 1980s on, following an increase in immigration from Hong Kong, South-East Asia and mainland China, there have been new waves of racism, so that even today the Chinese community still feels marginalised. (more…)
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China’s Ukraine dilemma
China has clearly been vacillating about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, abstaining from votes in the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly and in various public pronouncements avoiding any reference to “war” or “invasion.” (more…)
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Russia, China and the Game of Weiqi. Ukraine is not a predictor of Taiwan
Scott Morrison is beating up fear of an Arc of Autocracy in a bid to boost his electoral chances. This short-term objective will not help Australia win the complex game of Weiqi chess currently being played in our region. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not a predictor of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and neither situation directly threatens Australia to the extent Morrison would have you believe. (more…)
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It is hard to dismount from a Tiger
The well-known Chinese proverb, “When you’re riding a tiger, it’s hard to get off” is a particularly apt description of Australia’s relations with China in 2022, the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese calendar. (more…)
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Bad sport: harsh training regimes amount to human rights abuses
The International Olympic Committee should step up to protect athletes from brutal treatment while training for elite competition.
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Liberals’ fear-mongering won’t be effective: former Australian diplomat
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade claims that it “promotes and protects Australia’s international interests to support our security and prosperity.” I believe it has failed in this objective. (more…)
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As Taiwan and the Mainland face off, Scott Morrison must keep calm
Political leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been facing off against each other. Taiwan has been called the most dangerous place on earth. Exaggeration, maybe, but Australia should be careful not to get involved in any confrontation.
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Crying wolf: How to stop talk of war with China
How might it be possible to stop talk of war with China? Are our civil and military leaders, and their loyal press simply “crying wolf”? Or is there a real and present threat that might justify war talk?
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Border Security: China’s ‘Wall of Steel’ with Afghanistan
The Chinese government has deep concerns about security on its western borders following Taliban success in Afghanistan. China and the US share an interest in ensuring that the incoming Taliban government does not foster Islamic extremism and export it to its neighbours. Both countries have significant relationships with Pakistan, which is the major patron of the Taliban. It would be good to see them seize this opportunity to strengthen cooperation, and this might perhaps lead to other avenues to improve relations.
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A Reprise of Relations With China
Fifty years ago, Australia had a far-reaching vision of relations with China and Asia. Exactly fifty years ago, in July 1971, Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam first went to Beijing, followed closely by Henry Kissinger. Today, when defence and security put the US first, we seem to be sliding into a new Cold War.
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China: A big threat to our future or misunderstood hegemon?
David Brophy and Jocelyn Chey speaking at the Politics in the Pub Forum on relations with China. (more…)
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The battle of the two lines: media comments on the Communist Party of China
Ongoing celebrations in China of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) are crafted to build patriotism and national pride and are domestically focussed. Western press reports say that President Xi’s speech and the 1 July parade demonstrate that China is threatening the rest of the world by demonstrating its growing might. The truth as usual lies somewhere in between. Alternative views are edited out on both sides. (more…)