World Affairs
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Greater sunrise and the new Timor-Leste – China Comprehensive Strategic Framework
Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta has been pressing the Albanese government to somehow enable Woodside Petroleum to go forward with the development of the Greater Sunrise Gasfields and the processing of the gas on Timor-Leste’s south coast. He says that his country could turn to China if Australia doesn’t help. On September 23, 2023, Timor-Leste’s Continue reading »
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China sees remarkable growth in global soft power
Almost all geopolitical “soft power” explanations draw on the seminal analysis by the Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, who promoted the term in his 1990 book Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power. At that time, he wrote, “When one country gets other countries to want what it wants (this) might be called co-optive Continue reading »
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Gaza genocide exposes fundamental bias in the state-corporate news media
On BBC Newsnight, host Kirsty Wark listened to Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, describe how six of his family members had been killed by Israeli air strikes. Wark reacted oddly: ‘I’m sorry for your own personal loss. I mean, can I just be clear, though, you cannot condone the killing Continue reading »
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Indonesia, Malaysia blame and accuse Israel – Asian Media Report
In Asian media this week: War is ‘against the Palestinian people’. Plus: Voice defeat ‘undercuts regional stance’; Indian court rejects same-sex marriage; Xi marks BRI anniversary with new funding; Democracy ‘put to the test’; Gaol and caning for rape. Continue reading »
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Two global leaders poles apart on the same issue
China’s stance on war is very clear, in fact, it could not be more clear. In every conflict on the globe China calls for peaceful resolution and dialogue to resolve differences rather than force. A recently released White Paper, on the White Paper, on the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasised this calling for global peace, Continue reading »
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Cheng Lei’s release a win for diplomacy
Make no mistake, had the Australian Government not changed last year, Chen Lei would still be languishing in her miserable detention cell, denied access to her children, relatives, and friends. Continue reading »
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The Global South: A new North Star
We live in surprising times. Continue reading »
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“Extreme escalation”: Hospital destruction an unconscionable war crime
The Medical Association for Prevention of War renews its call of last week for the Australian government to express in the strongest possible terms that Australia supports the application of the rule of law impartially and in all circumstances, and explicitly condemns violations of it not only by Hamas but also by Israel in the Continue reading »
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You reap what you sow in Israel
“Freedom is never given. It must be taken.” (Ursula Le Guin) . You cannot be well in a home you stole. Continue reading »
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Saving Israel and Palestine through the UN
Following Hamas’s heinous attack on innocent Israeli civilians, senior Israeli military strategists are threatening the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. This would be another Nakba (Arabic for catastrophe), akin to the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and land in 1948. If Israel commits massive war crimes in Gaza in the face of global calls for restraint, Continue reading »
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Is China hiding a missing submarine in the sea?
If we were to believe the UK’s Daily Mail, China should be in mourning, they have lost a crew of 55 and a Nuclear submarine. The Times, historically, a reputable media outlet led with the headline that “China kills own sailors with a trap set for British and US submarines”. Continue reading »
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Palestinian genocide: History whispers until it shouts
There is a genocide happening on our watch. Can we rally from the brink of despair? Continue reading »
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Asia, China, Government, Politics, World
The Wily Occidentals
Can Australia reconcile the American and Chinese strands of its foreign policy? Continue reading »
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Palestine’s unending torment: A stain on the world’s conscience
Mainstream Western coverage of the recent Hamas foray into Israel and its aftermath has been marked by sensationalism, lack of historical context, and superficial moralising. Continue reading »
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100 years of ethnic cleansing: Quo Vadis Palestine
Israel has spoken of “erasing Gaza”. Don’t turn away. Stop. And think about what that might mean. Continue reading »
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Morrison’s Taiwan visit designed to goad China into war
The speech by former Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison in Taipei on Wednesday 11 October, 2023, was clearly designed to undermine the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Albanese to Beijing. It continued to drive forward the American objective of goading China into war over Taiwan. Continue reading »
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Agency and inevitability in the Australia-China relationship
From China’s perspective, Australia will always follow the US no matter what. And the US is out to contain China – there is nothing that China could do to change that. Australia has made relatively little effort to change this perception. This means for China, there is little point in putting much effort into dealing Continue reading »
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Voices of women, life and freedom battle sadism in Iran
In Australia, in the 25th year of the award of the Sydney Peace Prize, attention has at last been turned to a country, Iran, ruled by fear. The award-winning Iranian born British activist and actress Nazanin Boniadi will receive the 2023 Sydney Peace Prize ‘for drawing attention to human rights violations in Iran, for lending Continue reading »
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Engaging with China despite rising tensions
The challenges of engagement when international tensions rise go beyond defence and security considerations. The benefits, however, are vitally important and deserve continued investment. It is essential therefore to consider carefully the terms of engagement – the sometimes conflicting principles that should guide engagement. Continue reading »
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Films that help us understand Occupied Palestine
The 12th Palestine Film Festival has been postponed. This is not the time to hold a film festival. It is time to mourn the dead, pay our respects to those suffering and work together to bring an immediate end to the ongoing atrocities against innocent civilians. Continue reading »
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A week of golden negativity
Last week was China’s “Golden Week”. It is so called because it is the longest holiday of the year, with the period of Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day fused into one marathon stint. Continue reading »
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Deafening silence as Israel kills over 320 children in Gaza
“Where is the outrage we saw when Israeli children were killed?” asked a co-founder of IfNotNow. Continue reading »
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“I wouldn’t start from here”: Advice on Australia-China relations
Engaging China: How Australia can lead the way again (Sydney University Press 2023) reviews most aspects of the Australia-China relations and proposes useful ways to develop them for the national benefit. Jointly edited by Jamie Reilly and Jingdong Yuan, it includes contributions from thirteen scholars, journalists and former diplomats, a foreword by former Foreign Minister Continue reading »
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Netanyahu’s cries for revenge
Terrible violence and massive loss of life in this latest Palestine/Israel conflict is tragic and regrettable, but commentary from western politicians and their media backers is also tragic. The US rush to generate sympathy for Israel, and with scant regard for the traumatised citizens of Gaza, repeats years of thoughtless commentary that depicts the more Continue reading »
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Australian foreign policy, Government, Human Rights, International relations, Politics, Religion and Faith
MAPW Statement on Israel and Palestine: “Assert the right of all peoples”
The current escalation in bloodshed in Israel and Palestine reflects the fact that peace cannot be built on decades of oppression; it can only be built on justice. The Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) condemns not only the recent attacks, but also the failure – despite concerns expressed by many leaders and governments Continue reading »
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The suffering people of Ukraine and Palestine- what a contrast!
This cartoon depicts the double standards of world leaders and the media to the suffering people of Ukraine and the brutality inflicted for decades on the people in Israeli occupied Palestine. Continue reading »
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Gaza shatters the facade of ‘calm’
Palestinians have long warned that Israel’s blockade and repeated aggressions would eventually lead to an explosion. But few of us in Gaza expected this. Continue reading »
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Selective enforcer: ICC must warn Israel on crimes against humanity
The International Criminal Court (ICC) faces a test of its credibility in how it monitors and deals with the conduct of Israel as it strikes back against the horrific attacks committed by Hamas. Continue reading »
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The Gaza breakout is like Vietnam’s 1968 Tet offensive
The Hamas attack on Israel was part jailbreak (from Gaza, the world’s largest prison since the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto) but more than that it was a revolt of the hopeless by the hopeless for the hopeless. Continue reading »
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Palestinians will not surrender to occupation and apartheid
Every drop of Palestinian and Jewish blood shed is on the hands of the United States, Australian and Western countries politicians who closed their eyes to the aggression, occupation, ethnic cleansing, and violation of international laws and resolutions carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people for more than seventy-five years. Continue reading »
