Writer
James Laurenceson
James Laurenceson is Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute with the University of Technology, Sydney.
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Unis take foreign interference risks seriously
The security risks that Australian universities face through their many and varied international connections need to be taken seriously. Continue reading »
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Mega-thinktanks have one dangerous thing in common
With former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Varghese undertaking a review of taxpayer dollars spent on strategic policy work, Australia’s China hawks have argued a Canberra-based thinktank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), cannot be touched. Continue reading »
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Why Dutton has begun flying in the face of the China hawks
As the Australian opposition leader’s rhetoric softens dramatically, the days of turning China into an election wedge appear over. Continue reading »
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Choosing the path of diplomacy
Sino-Australian ties show signs of great resilience, stability as leaders take positive approach. Continue reading »
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What Albanese could seek to achieve in China visit
Whether Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit China in 2023 remains uncertain, but the odds are favourable. Beijing has issued an invitation and Albanese said that the trip remains ‘likely’. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed that Canberra ‘would look to make sure that a visit can occur’. But there remain two factors that might derail a visit. Continue reading »
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The resurgence of China-Australia trade
Prosaic economic factors, not politics, are driving the growth in China-Australia trade, ensuring “China will only become more important as Australia’s trading partner of choice,” writes James Laurenceson. Continue reading »
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With a new Australian government and foreign minister comes fresh hope for Australia-China relations
An Albanese government in Canberra means an improved trajectory in Australia-China relations is a real possibility. Sure, there will be no “re-set” like we saw in the heady days of 2015. The world has changed; Australia and China certainly have. Continue reading »
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China trade: the disturbing gap between US rhetoric and reality is emerging
The fervid declarations of US support for Australia amid China’s trade sanctions count for little: the data shows Australia stands alone in paying the costs.The US does not have our back. It is grabbing our markets in China. Continue reading »
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Australia may be standing alone on China as the US does not ‘have our back’
Canberra sees any repercussions for ‘standing up to China’ as a badge of honour. But the US is grabbing our markets one after another — it’s now LNG. Continue reading »
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‘Permissible’ Chinese military spending, AUKUS, and the security dilemma
The view that AUKUS is a justified response to China’s actions ignores China’s achievements and future ambitions. It also ignores China’s legitimate security fears. Continue reading »
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No evidence the US has Australia’s back in its dispute with China, despite all the rhetoric
The US has “got our back”. This talking point is repeated by Australian government ministers with rising fervour, as China continues its campaign of trade punishment against Australia. Think-tank experts and media commentators amplify it further. Continue reading »
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Will the Five Eyes stare down China’s economic coercion? So far their self interest looks to be winning out.
For at least some products , Australia may not so much be “left alone on the playing field” as substituted off and only able to watch from the sidelines. Continue reading »
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Establishing the facts of Australia’s China policy since 2016
With the relationship between Australia and China now in a stalemate with the possibility it could get worse, leading local protagonists have taken to telling a story of how things came to be. But it’s in no small part a self-serving tale, seemingly designed to deflect having to take some responsibility. Continue reading »
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Stalemate in Australia-China relations
The People’s Republic of China continues to reject overtures for high-level ministerial dialogue while maintaining that Australia bears the lion’s share of responsibility to create a situation in which the relationship can be improved. Continue reading »
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China enters 2021 a stronger, more influential power — and Australia may feel the squeeze even more
Great power competition in the Asia-Pacific region has been building for years. But COVID-19 has turbo-charged the shifts taking place and China is finishing 2020 in a significantly stronger position compared with the US than when the year started. Continue reading »
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Why Australia is on its own in its trade conflict with China (Australia-China Relations Institute Dec 2, 2020)
As China piles on the trade pressure, the reality of Australia’s economic place in the world has been laid bare: it is on its own. Continue reading »
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Clear-eyed responses as well as assessments needed on the PRC
Being clear-eyed about China under Xi Jinping is one thing. But managing the relationship effectively also requires Australia to be clear-eyed about the effectiveness of our policy options in response. Continue reading »
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PM strikes the right balance in managing China ties
Allowing the federal government to terminate deals with foreign powers is better than going down the Trump road of bans and aggressive decoupling from China. Continue reading »
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We should seize the olive branch offered by China.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says that Australia must “speak with one voice” when engaging with foreign governments and their related entities. All eyes are on Beijing. Continue reading »
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The Myth of Chinese Money in Australia
Fears amongst the Australian public of China buying up the country run deep. Opportunistic politicians and commentators have long shown a willingness to tap into this unease to boost their own following. Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON.- China Trade Questions confound Australia’s Indo-Pacific shift.(EAF 5.1.2020)
The ‘Indo-Pacific’, stretching from the eastern Indian Ocean to the Pacific, is the Australian government’s framing of the international environment for its foreign policy. Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON. China in a time of change.
China and the Technology Race To deliver rising living standards to its citizens, China needs to move up the production value chain. Technological progress and innovation are at the heart of this. That is why US measures to restrict China’s access to technology are viewed by Beijing as far more serious than tariffs: the former Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON. Morrison’s visit to the US shows his common ground with China (AFR 25-9-19)
Scan the headlines generated by Scott Morrison’s trip to the United States and you could get the impression that the Australian government is increasingly tilting towards supporting Washington in its economic war against Beijing. Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON. The efficacy of being very vocal: Australia and human rights in China (ACRI)
Last week’s news that the Australian Dr Yang Hengjun was being moved to a criminal facility in China was, to use Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s words, “deeply disappointing” to say the least. Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON, MICHAEL ZHOU. Small Grey Rhinos: Understanding Australia’s Economic Dependence on China (Australia-China Relations Institute)
Australia lives with an acute ‘fear of abandonment’. In security terms this fear has underpinned Australian foreign policy settings for decades. Recently, doubts about the reliability of the United States as Australia’s security guarantor have sent Australian government ministers on a mission to convince America that ongoing – and expanded – engagement with Australia’s Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON. Australia’s China debate.
Australia’s China debate is frequently cast in terms of ‘doves’ versus ‘hawks’, with the former also receiving the tag of being ‘pro-China’ and the latter designated ‘anti-China’. In fact, the common ground between these two groups is expansive. Continue reading »
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JAMES LAURENCESON. American Interest
Australia is a US ally, and Washington is inevitably interested in understanding Canberra’s approach to managing its relationship with Beijing. It can also be expected that the US will seek to influence the approach that Australia adopts in view of its own national interests. There is nothing inherently untoward about this. But with the US Continue reading »
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James Laurenceson and Hannah Bretherton. What Australians really think about a rising China.
Current Affairs What does China’s rise as a major power mean for Australia? The answer depends on who you ask. In March 2015 the Sydney Morning Herald’s International Editor, Peter Hartcher, described China as a fascist state that bullies its own citizens and neighbouring countries alike. That about sums up the ‘China threat’ view. Yet Continue reading »
