China
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Bridges, not walls: Xi Jinping and the Australia-China relationship
The relationship between Australia and China, once characterised by regard and mutual curiosity, has recently been extremely turbulent. However, it was not always this way. Continue reading »
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China’s Third Plenum: domestic consumption is the key to stimulating domestic demand
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has said the upcoming Third Plenary Session of its current 20th Central Committee will focus on “deepening comprehensive reform to advance Chinese modernisation.” Officially, the reform agenda will only be unveiled at the Third Plenum. But that doesn’t mean there are zero signals in public before it happens. Continue reading »
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China’s Third Plenum: Beijing set to provide more welfare to its citizens
David Daokui Li says China’s decision makers have finally come around to stimulating domestic consumption rather than investment, and for that Beijing will provide more welfare. Continue reading »
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A Chinese mother’s journey to accept her transgender child
“I didn’t tell my husband that our child is a transgender person who likes girls, until months later. His smile froze after hearing what I said.” Continue reading »
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Australia must prize, not demonise China capability
China expertise – including that of our huge Chinese diaspora – has increasingly become a source of suspicion. China scholar Angela Lehmann offers three policy responses to promote Australia’s capability to engage with our biggest trading partner. Continue reading »
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Stabilisation, but deeper relationship stymied by Australian mass media sinophobes
Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit underscores the significance of the Australia-China relationship, especially given China’s status as Australia’s largest trading partner. A deeper relation should develop, but that will take time. Trust needs to be reestablished not only at diplomatic and business levels, but also in the Australian mass media, whose China opinion writers have Continue reading »
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Espionage death sentence the latest challenge to China–Australia relations
Australian citizen Yang Hengjun’s death sentence for espionage in China has complicated the improvement of China–Australia relations. The case highlights concerns about China’s legal system, particularly regarding national security cases where the judiciary lacks transparency and independence. Despite international condemnation, China continues to issue numerous death sentences. The case also underscores the growing mistrust and Continue reading »
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Big changes to China’s healthcare insurance system expected at 3rd Plenum
The Communist Party of China has said the upcoming Third Plenary Session of its current 20th Central Committee will focus on “deepening comprehensive reform to advance Chinese modernisation.” Based on past practice and some recent public reports, Beijing is drafting its agenda now, but details are hard to come by. Continue reading »
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Premier Li’s Visit to Australia: A hostage rescue mission
As hard as this might be for some Australians to accept, China isn’t a threat to the economy, it’s a lifeline, perhaps even a hostage rescue. Continue reading »
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Walking into war with China: an American trap hidden in plain sight
There is no question that the path to war has been set against Russia and China. Nor is there doubt that the brunt will be borne by US allies, as the US has repeatedly proclaimed its “gratitude” to allies without which its geostrategy would be impossible. The question remaining is when war will require allies Continue reading »
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Can China save the world?
As the climate crisis accelerates and intensifies, it’s easy to despair about the possibility of any country taking the lead in ‘saving the planet’. And yet Xi Jinping at least says encouraging things. Should we take China seriously? Continue reading »
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After a low, China-Australia ties can aim high
When I think of Australia, the first things that pop into my mind are koalas and kangaroos. Those adorable marsupials are wooing travellers worldwide every year to the beautiful land. Continue reading »
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Li Qiang comes to town: what to expect?
Premier Li Qiang is the second most powerful person in China, after President Xi Jinping. He is expected to visit Australia and New Zealand in the next few days. Meetings in Canberra will present an opportunity for leaders to set the seal of approval on tentative measures already under way for stabilisation of the bilateral Continue reading »
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Backing the US house of cards
“The United States of America is in competition with China, but not ideologically. Who initiated the first agreements with China to outsource factories if not the United States of America themselves? They cannot tell us that it is a fight for freedom… It’s [ ] because China is becoming the world’s leading power, and from Continue reading »
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When Confucius meets Machiavelli
The title of “Empire” is not ascribed to the United States by observers but revealed by astute journalists as indeed what the powers that be in the US think of itself. Continue reading »
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Chips and geopolitics part two: China’s semiconductor resilience
In my previous article, I discussed how the AI chip sector has become a critical battleground in the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China. Continue reading »
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Could the rise of China eclipse the enlightenment
According to the dominant Western narrative, the history of the entire modern world has been prodigiously shaped by Western historical turning points beginning with the Renaissance and running through the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the science-driven, first Industrial Revolution. A recent, US-published book, “China’s Age of Abundance: Origins Ascendence and Aftermath” by Professor Wang Feng, Continue reading »
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What Western mainstream media won’t tell us about China
We might not like to read this, but here are a few things Western media completely forgot to tell you about Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang… Continue reading »
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‘We’re all trained to be good obedient children, but what do you want?’ Delving into the inner lives of women in neoliberal China
Yuan Yang is what migration academics call a “1.5 generation migrant” – meaning she was born in her country of origin and then migrated to another country as a child. Continue reading »
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Israel-Gaza war: Chinese satellites detail scale of destruction in besieged Palestinian territory
Analysis using remote sensing technology from Wuhan University puts the level of damage at about 60 per cent. Continue reading »
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Big argument: three key takeaways from latest Taiwan Strait military drills
How should we interpret the significance of the drills? Did China overreact to Lai Ching-te’s inaugural speech? Continue reading »
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Western decline: Denial and anger at China’s vitality
In her work, ‘On Death and Dying’ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote of the stages one goes through on being told one is dying. She called these ‘Five Stages of Grief,’ of adjusting to reality: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Continue reading »
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AUKUS: Beazley, Richardson, Dibb are old men pushing ignorant economics
On 28 May, a Defending Australia Summit was held in Sydney by “The Australian Newspaper” which showcased three former Australian defence officials who seemed confused by their old age and indulged in ignorant and historically romantic group think. Continue reading »
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Shaping the policy debate: how does the British media present China?
The almost total lack of any positive coverage of China in the British media further closes off the scope even for making arguments that policy should reflect opportunities from dealing with China. Continue reading »
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Neutrality would keep us out of a U.S. – China war
Neutrality offers Australia a foreign policy alternative which would keep us out of a U.S.-China war. Although this position is favoured by over two thirds of Australians, the presence of U.S. military bases on our soil and the government’s embrace of the AUKUS pact, block its adoption. Continue reading »
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Chips and geopolitics: the unexpected rise of Huawei in AI technology
In 2023, Nvidia held a 90% share of China’s AI chip market, with sales of $7 billion. Now, less than a year later, Nvidia is cutting prices to compete with Huawei in China and move its “Made for China” H20 AI chipset off the shelves. What went so wrong, so fast? Continue reading »
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The price of Biden’s new China tariffs
This is the opening move in a protectionist regime the U.S. president will extend significantly to prove his bona fides as a Sinophobe. Continue reading »
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China and US should seize the opportunity of Shangri-La Dialogue for military talks amid tensions
Chinese Minister of National Defence Dong Jun is set to visit Singapore from May 31 to June 2 to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue at the Shangri-La Hotel. Continue reading »
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Clutching at straws: America will not maintain its economic dominance
Although rarely acknowledged, China is the world’s biggest economy, and it will most probably continue to grow faster than the US, its main competitor. Continue reading »
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As China-Australia ties fray, should Canberra keep its friends close, its enemies closer?
If China is indeed a power to be worried about, wouldn’t Australia want to know as much about it as possible, perhaps even know what it is up to? Blocking or reducing interaction with China or other countries only reduces Australia to a petty, hollow state that is susceptible to misunderstandings. Continue reading »
