Letter

In response to A tale of two lists: How geopolitics shaped the attendance of China’s parade

Wanning Sun correct re over-interpreting attendance

Wanning Sun is correct in pointing out that it would be unwise to read too much into what countries have been invited and the relative seniority of those representatives. There is clearly some guidance that can be obtained from it, but there are a host of factors that shapes such attendance that are specific to the individual nations concerned.

It would also be unwise to use that attendance list to draw conclusions about the relationship between China and the vast bulk of the global South. More telling are the substantive actions of that South in their enthusiasm to enter into trade and commercial partnerships with China and their interest in joining both the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and the BRICS partnership.

Make no mistake, global power and influence are moving decisively away from the Western orbit towards the East and China is the pivot point for that shift.

— Les Macdonald from Balmain NSW 2041