There is an important face to face meeting between the US and China on Thursday in Alaska. But our media seems disinterested.
The virtual QUAD meeting at the weekend attracted some media attention if only to give a glossy rerun to the public relations statement put out by the US president and the prime ministers of Japan, India and Australia. There was little media interest in getting behind the window dressing to examine two things. First, that the QUAD meeting attempted to roll back the Chinese vaccine diplomatic successes . Second, that it was an attempt to help cover the tracks of Big Pharma which, with the support of wealthy countries in the WHO including Australia has acted to refuse a waiver of patent monopolies.As a result poorer countries will be denied access to vaccines. Australia does not accept that vaccines should be a public good.
To those that have, more will be given.
But little media attention has been given to the meeting in Alaska on Thursday between the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Chinese top diplomat Yang Jiechi and others.
To help fill the Australian media void there may be some interest in three overseas reports of the coming Alaskan meeting.
Aljazeera on 12 March reported that ‘Blinken called the meeting an important opportunity to lay out in frank terms many concerns the US has with Beijing’s actions. … He also said discussions will also explore whether there are avenues to cooperate with China.’
The Washington Post reporting on 11 March said ‘The Biden administration’s ability to broker a productive relationship with China while hammering it on human rights issues faces its first test next week when senior US officials meet their Chinese counterparts in Alaska. Secretary of State Antony Blinken … accused China of carrying out genocide against its Muslim minority communities and ruled out granting concessions to Beijing in order to reduce its carbon emissions.’
A Chinese Global Times correspondent was more optimistic in a report of 11 March. He said ‘The arrangement shows that the two governments need to re-engage in dialogues after suffering the huge damages to China-US relations under the past four years of the Trump administration. There is hope that through high-level talks, the direction of the two countries’ relations can return to a stable and constructive development track.’
However, the Global Times also in an editorial on 11 March was more sceptical. ‘If the US simply wanted to lecture China on how it should behave, the talks would be useless.’
Blinken is reported as saying that that is exactly what he will do!
We will see.
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
Comments
20 responses to “Will the Alaska meeting ease tensions or worsen relations between the US and China?”
Obviously, most Western media did not realize the importance of the Alaska Conference. It is an important part of the Biden administration in reshaping the world order after Trump’s devastating policies. This meeting will influence trends in at least three directions: 1. The establishment of a China-Japan-Korea free trade zone. 2. The depth of connection between QUAD participating countries 3. Russia’s interests in Crimea and Syria.
What is certain is that Blincoln’s visits to Japan and South Korea and the QUAD summit in the past few days are all for the United States to gain an advantage in Alaska. To unite allies to pressure China to force China to make concessions. Furthermore, Biden, who took office less than half a year, began to challenge Putin in three directions: Syria, Crimea, and Russian opponents in protest. While under tremendous pressure, Putin will regard China’s possible concessions in Alaska as a kind of betrayal. . . . .
So why did China agree to participate in the Alaska Conference? There is only one answer. Biden revealed a certain willingness to cooperate with China on the Taiwan issue. Considering that the current ruling party in Taiwan spared no effort to support Trump during the general election, the Chinese Communist Party has reason to see some kind of opportunity.
For Australia, what do they expect to see in this meeting? China stops putting pressure on Australia’s trade? Let everything go back to the good times before 2019?
The answer is to see nothing. The only thing that can be observed is that after the meeting, will China and the United States announce higher-level meetings between the two countries in the future, such as the summit of the two heads of state? If so, then in Alaska, the two countries are talking pretty well. If not, does Australia want to understand whether to drag itself into a turmoil that may last for ten years?
But, at least, Biden, who has never held a presidential press conference, is looking forward to a major victory at this meeting.
Those who own the West are beginning to panic? Interest rates are rising, after that 10% episode for one bank in the USA in Sept 2019.
International tensions will be represented as rising, to disguise many weaknesses, as some of the very rich realize that their assets and power are melting away.
Opening trade with China and Japan were strategic decisions that were aimed at profit but can also have cultural and political consequences. It takes a long time for these to play out, especially if lies are woven into the histories.
Meanwhile man proposing wars, the Cosmos is also readying change.
All the local star systems are powered by the local filament. Every 500 years, give or take, the polarity of the AC changes. The local stars respond and their children, the planets, shiver.
We have less than 30 years….
The US Relationship with China is the business of the US Government. An astute Australian government must surely realize that the US is in serious decline. An Australian Government should be forging out a relationship with China, independent of the US and one that is in Australia’s interest. Out here in the electorate of Wannon in south western Victoria with out local member Dan Tehan as the Minister of Trade, we are in an ideal position to hear first hand what Dan and his department is achieving. Dan like our previous members for Wannon Malcolm Fraser and David Hawker is in amongst us every weekend as they did, soliciting ideas and keeping us well informed about national and international issues. Well done Dan the Man. You are a great member for Wannon in the true Victorian Liberal spirit!
Yes.
The election of the President of the United States does not require votes from Australia.
The Australian government does not need to be responsible for the interests of the United States.
I think the last word in the heading needs to be corrected. Cheers, Ken
Lecturing China is never going to work, it is all the West has done since the opium trade started up. Neither is constant freedom of navigation exercises (putting more duress on China) that go back as far as the US controlling its interests along the Yangtze from 1849 onwards. They can’t keep their noses out of the place, they funded Chiang Kai-shek and even helped him out dealing heroin from Burma to raise funds – all with the assistance of the CIA. If only China did the same with the US.
Could you imagine Chinese boat patrols up the Mississippi River so they could look after their business interests?
And human rights? Well China may very well be chastised frequently by exaggerated and sometimes completely false Western media accounts, but it is laughable that the US and Australia have such a clean slate as to claim the moral high ground. China might be trying to change thinking in Xinjiang as claimed, but the US and Australia just slaughter those who don’t agree with them, starting with the indigenous inhabitants in both countries who still pay a price. Claims of one million locked up in Xinjiang are countered by at least one million dying in Iraq by wars and sanctions, not to mention Afghanistan where who knows how many innocent people died? Then there’s the US’s secret rendition camps everywhere around the world in countries that are not signatories to UNHRC conventions. The US can’t even get human rights sorted out in its own country, neither can Australia. We run offshore detention camps (and still do) that the UNHRC identified as places of torture. So badly run in some cases that people have died having their heads smashed in, set themselves on fire, suicided, died from medical neglect, been raped etc etc. Aboriginal deaths in custody? Nothing changes, it gets worse. Nothing but blimps in the way of the mining industry. While China is castigated every day ad nauseum by the willing media, by sold -outs like Hartcher, no one seems to care if 30% of the Chinese community in Australia suffer racist attacks, 20% being physical. Who cares about their human rights and equality in Australian society? As it was with Muslims before, and Africans in Melbourne, and Indians several years ago, and Japanese under Hanson 1.0, and refugees, and Greeks, and Italians, and Middle Easterners etc etc.
And not complying with international agreements? Well lets just mention that the war in Iraq which still goes on today is an illegal war. Diego Garcia? Nothing but theft of land, running the people off their islands, and stitching up another illegal land grab between the US and the UK for another US military base. Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Guantanamo Bay? CIA interference in Central an South America? The US does not respect anyone’s sovereignty, it sends drones and missiles wherever it wants in the world often blowing up entire villages on suspicion there may be a ‘baddy’ living there. It runs false flag campaigns and psyops to turn geopolitics their way. All well documented.
China also knows how to identify hypocrites, and it has had more than enough finger pointing directed at it even way before the days of Mao. Keep at it and they will just put earplugs in their ears. The constant vilification is absurd.
There is only one bully in the world and it is called the US. What do you think its 800 international bases are for? Why does it have massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons? Why does it spend extreme amounts of money, half the discretionary budget of around US 800 billion on extra military deals? Why does it have so many military industrial companies? Why is it developing mini-nukes? Go figure. The country has been constantly at war and sticking its nose into everyone else’s business for centuries.
Do you think I sound angry? I am. Why? Because most of my early life I was brought up to believe Australia, Britain, and the US were the good guys who never did a thing wrong. God was on our side. We were subjected to thousands of US movies where they were always the righteous ones who won the wars. Well I woke up from that dream way back in the Vietnam days and I still resent those that sold me as a child the dream that we were somehow better. Many Australians still swallow this myth, as they did with yellow peril and McCarthyism, but it is time to wake up from our lingering colonialist views.
I would have happily co-signed this, George, since I agree with everything you say here. And although it might be a minor point amongst so many other important ones, I especially agree with your last paragraph. This is something that does not get enough attention. I was born in the heart of Empire, and swallowed and likely repeated all the ‘we are the goodies, they are the baddies’ narratives. And I am angry about it, and I resent those who have promulgated those myths throughout the many decades of my life, and continue to still do so.
Thanks for your comment Malcolm and thanks for wanting to sign my comment too. There are probably more of us out there that would agree as well about how our minds were inseminated with certain glowing accounts of our involvement in wars flavoured with a sense of righteousness, and only one side of the story portrayed
When I was around 9 0r 10 years old, Anzac Day was always remembered at school. Being unaware of the full history, only what was said, I actually believed we had won at Gallipoli for many years, and for good reason. We used to have to stand at attention and then stand at ease at the assembly and listen, it was good compliance to orders and warrior training. Teachers would come up behind and straighten your shoulders, and check that your shoes were polished military style. Often verses of “For The Fallen” were read out, but reading it again since, I realised what an endorsement of our side’s righteousness it was.
Now I know it was an invasion which saw lambs sent into slaughter as cannon fodder while higher ups isolated themselves living a different life on islands away from the conflict and sipped whisky while commenting about the situation. The heroes in the trenches had no choice but to go over the top, if they didn’t they were called cowards and the label would have stuck when they returned home to their respective families’ disgrace. What choice did they have?
In the minds of the aristocratic generals, they were just tin soldiers that you moved around on a board.
Unfortunately, the Western imperial propaganda machine is overpowering. The majority in almost every generation since the time of the East India Company has been conned. And when there’s resistance, the colonial imperative still wins anyway. A case in point- when the British Parliament successfully opposed the Second Opium War, the PM Lord Palmerston quickly called for fresh elections, and with enough fake news, won and the war proceeded with joint action with the French: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2075509/dark-legacy-britains-opium-wars-still-felt-today-amid-fight-against
Another good example was the Iraq war. Americans believed Iraqi WMD, and that Saddam was responsible for 911! And when the truth came out it made no difference, except for some vets expressing their disgust, and chucking their medals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ctEQqlf2xw
But I see a light! Neoliberalism has not only caused disaster for countries around the world, it is now eating itself up in the USA. The 1% in America have grabbed breakfast, lunch and dinner for only themselves. Biden won’t be able to stop the vast poverty and homelessness in America among the millions. More trillions will need to be printed. At some stage it will not sustain itself.
All empires come to an end. The American one is going to implode sooner than most of us think.
Have wanted George, but been unsure, how I might best commend and congratulate you for your knowledgeable analysis and take on national and global affairs; and for indefatigably speaking truth to, and about, power.
Upon reading your latest characteristically well-argued and understandable raging “outburst”, my thoughts immediately turned to Peter Finch’s raging in the timeless 1976 classic movie, Network: “I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”
As we collectively passively, and with little resistance, drift from failed neoliberalism towards fascism, perhaps more than ever, Australia needs you and similarly articulate and knowledgeable kindred spirits to “maintain your rage”.
Thank you Wayne Fyffe for such a kind and inspiring reply. It does mean a lot to me to know other people appreciate what I am doing here, and that they support the views I project. It’s payment in full, not by money, but how it makes me feel in my heart, and that is worth more than “all the tea in China” as people used to say. Mind you, I really like a nice cup of Oolong, more correctly known as Wu long.
I will maintain my rage, it is authentic. To be honest I always write with a sense of passion, and ultimately that is because I care about where my country is headed, and how that effects people of Chinese ethnicity in Australia through prejudice and racism. I also care about the people of China who I believe are being unfairly treated in this current game of constant blame directed at only one country, while we miss out on many great things that China embodies that are very positive.
I’ll have to look at Peter Finch’ s movie again, thank you for citing it.
Thank You !
Many thanks George. I just wanted to support and encourage you in any way I felt I can (not that I think you really need any of such from me). What really struck a chord with me was your anger and frustration with having been lied to for most of your early life, and your awakening “way back in the Vietnam days”. Me too – and I don’t think I’ve been “back to sleep” since.
Even if we likely fail in our “bleeding heart” quixotic quest for a much fairer and far less troubled and fractured Australia and wider world, when we head off to our graves, we may be comforted with the thought that we at least tried; you far more so, and ably, than me.
PS And Barney, I’m not George’s or anyone’s “sycophant in the echo chamber”. But I do admit to admiring George for his gutsy courage in tirelessly speaking out and questioning (unlike our mostly apathetic and/or Security State, financial and job insecurity cowed and self-censoring fellow Aussies (including “our ABC”).
Here I found this clip, really worth watching *****
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRuS3dxKK9U
Thanks George. What a performance! Fascinating. The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same (but get worse for the many).
Thanks again John Menadue for providing yet another article of excellent insight and allowing a voice that can provide an opinion from the Chinese side as well, even allowing opinion sourced from the Global Times.
This is why so many of us reject the mainstream self-appointed media authority that only ever presents a one eyed ‘China is evil’ view of these issues.
US is used to control and influence both military and economic pacts and with a rising China, it is losing the economic grip on the world despite it being the richest and most powerful nation on earth. Today’s circumstances have changed, and more countries are choosing the economic alliance in preference the military alliance; and the current trend is that military and economic alliance are like oil and water and do not mix. You are better off choosing one or the other. Globalisation could mean peace and prosperity for all and it is better to choose economic alliance, as decided by most ASEAN leaders
The irony and hipocrasy
The irony and the hypocrisy is breathtaking.
We harass and harangue China over its alleged mistreatment of Muslim minorities.
Then we merrily hop off to a Quad Zoom meeting, in which India is a major participant . Not a word from Australia or the US about Modi’s disenfranchisement of over 200m Indian Muslims – born and bred. Nor of India’s slaughter of Muslims in Kashmir. Nor of India’s appalling caste system. In the words of our PM … nothing to see here folks go home and be quiet Australians.
Good thing we have “Pearls and Irritations”. Unfortunately too many of the latter.
And the contradiction now as we speak, is that while China is accused over Muslim Uyghur treatment in Xinjiang, the US is lending a great deal of help, and selling monumental amounts weapons to Saudi Arabia, to smash the minority of Houthis in Yemen. According to the Houthis they were sick of their pro-US, pro-Saudi government, corruption, and that was the trigger for the civil war.
During the response after 9/11 when Muslim terrorism was so important, the US praised China for its help with Uyghur terrorism in the region. Uyghurs at that time who were picked up in Afghanistan found themselves in Guantanamo bay for many years.
So the message to China is: sometimes Muslims are good and sometimes they are bad, but only America can decide when that is the case.
In the Syrian regime-change chaos, if I recall correctly, at one stage US army-supported terrorists were fighting CIA-supported terrorists! But it wasn’t a big deal, it was profitable just the same for the arms suppliers, and besides, dead terrorists were aOK.