The US government had invested lots of resources in building up an espionage base in Hong Kong, and made tremendous efforts to recruit their anti-China agents here and provided them with training and resources, hoping that they could successfully mount the 2019 riots to seize control over Hong Kong to hurt the central government in Beijing. (more…)
Category: China
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The usual China-thumping and sanctimonious censuring have continued as intensely as ever.
Late 1989 is rightly regarded as a singular historical turning point when geopolitical business-as-usual was unambiguously interrupted: The Berlin Wall opened up and then came down. Major changes to previous regimes across Eastern Europe swiftly followed and by late 1991, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had become Russia, again. (more…)
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The price of primacy: Can the United States stop China becoming the dominant regional power?
In this episode of Democracy Sausage, eminent strategic studies expert Hugh White joins Mark Kenny to examine Australia’s strategy for dealing with rising tensions between the United States and China and the prospects for armed conflict in the region.
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China threatens the West’s primacy, not its democratic systems
Some Western leaders, including Scott Morrison, have begun to describe the contest with China in starkly ideological terms, as a defence of democracy against authoritarianism. They say China threatens to replace the democratically-based “liberal international order” with a new order founded on the principles and practices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which would endanger democratic societies everywhere. It is all very reminiscent of the old Cold War.
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Hong Kong Journalist Association plays to the Washington gallery.
When it comes to grandstanding, the Hong Kong Journalists Association wins hands down. In this, it can take great pride, and to outdo the prima donnas of bodies like the Hong Kong Bar Association is no mean feat.
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China grievances conflated into demands.
Peter Hartcher on the ABC presented China’s list of grievances as if they were some kind of official demarche made on the Australian Government. He intones repeatedly about these ‘demands’ as if they had the status of Martin Luther’s 95 theses nailed to the chapel door at Wittenberg University which started the Reformation. That is a serious misreading (more…)
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Between the lines with Tom Switzer: China, friend or foe?
The western world’s relationships with Beijing are at their worst in more than half a century. How do we account for the rapid deterioration in Australia’s dealings with China? With Peter Hartcher,described by Tom Switzer as a ‘China scholar’ and David Brophy.
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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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After a century of achievements, the CPC’s next critical phase begins now
The Communist Party of China (CPC) commemorated its 100-year anniversary on July 1, 2021, a day that was met with celebratory Chinese introspection and no small amount of criticism from China’s detractors. I had the privilege of being invited to speak at two international conferences to mark the celebration, one of which was attended by President Xi Jinping. This article summarizes the points I made in both talks.
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A Flight with Henry Kissinger to Beijing that Changed the World
On this particular night in July 1971, we were told to get ready for a 3 AM departure.
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The Afghanistan failure is history repeating itself but there may be profound consequences.
Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban will do much to change the balance of power in Heartland central Asia.
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The CCP’s greatest strength is “Self-Reinvention”
An advocate for China argues the party’s capacity for renewal has kept it at the vanguard of the nation’s youth. (more…)
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Boris sends naval fleet to revive British colonialism on the Chinese coast
Double standards: In the shipping war games it’s Freedom of Navigation for one side and an unwelcome intrusion into our waters for the other. (more…)
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Did China buy Cambridge?
The front cover of The Spectator magazine of 10 July 2021 reads, ‘How China bought Cambridge’ (framed by temptations to read stories such as ‘Is Boris becoming Prince Harry?’ and ‘The joy of streaking’). The “Cambridge” in question is the university, and an article by Ian Williams with the same title sets out the case for what looks like a serious allegation with important implications for the 800-year-old institution. However, the evidence Williams provides fails to substantiate the headline. (more…)
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Rule of law in Hong Kong: Judicial safety and foreign hypocrites
In the Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the United Nations’ General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, adopted in 2012, it is stated that “the advancement of the rule of law is essential for sustained and inclusive economic growth, sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and hunger and the full realization of all human rights and freedoms”.
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What did we do to China?
Half of us reckon China is responsible for improving the relationship between our countries, forty per cent expect China to attack us, and two-thirds say its interference in our affairs is a major problem. The Lowy Institute’s Natasha Kassam says, “No other country in the world – not Taiwan, Japan or South Korea – is talking about the likelihood of war on a day-to-day basis”. (more…)
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Henry Kissinger marks 50 years since first China visit with call for talks to avoid ‘catastrophe’
Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger called for serious dialogue between China and the United States to avoid “catastrophe”, during a Beijing event celebrating his historic trip to China 50 years ago. (more…)
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Tim I Gurung -Hongkongers should learn from how Britain treated the Gurkhas
Britain’s recently adopted policy to grant Hongkongers with British National (Overseas) passports a pathway to citizenship in the UK seems to be a pretty generous offer. Indeed, many Hongkongers have already taken advantage of it.
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William H. Overholt- Biden cannot counter China with a team that lacks expertise
President Biden’s foreign policy team says China is the priority, but the team lacks China expertise. Other than trade experience at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Biden’s Cabinet has no China expertise. (more…)
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Peak Sinophobia in Australia?
How can the collapse of the Australia-China diplomatic relationship be explained? Despite a recent flurry of articles and books, the answer isn’t a mystery nor is it complex. (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…)
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How accurate is western media on China?
One of the most important skills a journalist needs is the skill of research. Proper research and investigation even into the most simple of stories is vitally important, news should be accurate, verified and unbiased. However, when it comes to China, Western news is often very wrong. Sometimes erroneous but given the number of errors, this seems unlikely and certainly unprofessional.
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Su-Lin Tan-China-Australia relations: US coal continues to fill void left by ban on Australian exports, Canberra report says
The United States continued shipping more coal to China in May – supporting an upward trend seen in recent months and filling the gap left by Australian coal banned by Chinese authorities, newly released trade data and reports show.
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Kishore Mahbubani: Can America lose to China?
The real danger of the demonization of China is that it leads even thoughtful Americans to believe that an open society like America has many natural advantages over a closed autocratic system like China’s. By framing it in this way, Americans cannot even conceive of the possibility of losing out to China.
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A close run thing in Hong Kong in 2019.
What Hong Kong faced was an insurgency, the overthrow of the government, nothing less.
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Hong Kong and Taiwan: seeking perspectives
My intention here is to provide some information on Hong Kong and Taiwan, having regard to media failure and the general drought of information in Australia. Policy and public sentiment is being driven by passions and our tendency to prefer conflictual in news and argument.
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Xi Jinping’s CPC centenary speech: Is there cause for alarm?
A speech to commemorate 100 years of the Communist Party of China by its leader Xi Jinping prompted another flurry of anxiety in the Australian media over the ‘China threat’. But former diplomat Colin Heseltine argues Xi’s speech was aimed at a domestic audience and departed little from standard lines on national security issues.
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Alex Lo-How ‘Five Eyes’ allies eat Australia’s lunch over China trade
The US and Canada have been more than happy to substitute supplies from Down Under to China with their own while denouncing Beijing’s ‘economic coercion’ (more…)
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Grenville Cross-Rule of law in HongKong- Protecting criminal justice operatives from violence.
When the Hong Kong protest movement and its armed wing launched their insurrection in 2019, they realized that to make headway they had to target people involved in upholding criminal justice. From the outset, they systematically attacked the police, with petrol bombs, bricks and improvised weaponry, and then set about terrorizing their families. They doxxed officers, intimidated their spouses and children, and mounted late night attacks on police married quarters.
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The axis of evil shaping our minds, on China and more
If ever there is now an axis of evil it is surely the uncoordinated journey of fellow travellers ASPI, now reportedly replacing DFAT as strategic advisor to government; Adrian Zenz, conservative Catholic inventor of Xinjiang genocide, who wants to see the overthrow of the government of China, and the ABC team led by Stan Grant, who have taken propagandistic reporting to unprecedented levels. (more…)