Australia’s second-time Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has wasted no time hammering a nail in the coffin of the China boom after ending the political career of his predecessor. Making his first press statement Wednesday night after successfully challenging Julia Gillard for the Labor Party leadership, the Mandarin-speaking Rudd said Australians must diversify away from the … Continue reading Australia moves to diversify away from China under Kevin Rudd’s leadership
Tag: China
China’s bullying tactics backfire in Australia
China's new leader, Xi Jinping, has revived Chairman Mao's doctrine of the "mass line". The founder of modern China didn't want the masses to have a vote, but he did think that it was vitally important to understand their views. The "mass line" in Australia today contains an important message to Canberra, and to Beijing. … Continue reading China’s bullying tactics backfire in Australia
Australia sees China and US both central to future
Whoever wins the next Australian election will need deftness and subtlety in managing Australia's foreign relations. This year's Lowy Institute Poll indicates that Australians want a strong relationship with the US, are wary of China but think we should be able to maintain good relations with both countries. Three in four Australians choose China ahead … Continue reading Australia sees China and US both central to future
Chinese student allowed to stay in Australia after six year sentence for drug trafficking
A former Chinese student who served six years in prison for his part in a drug-trafficking and money-laundering syndicate can stay in Australia after a tribunal overturned his visa cancellation. If sent back to China, Xin Liang might face the death penalty; his risk of reoffending in Australia was very low; and he had been … Continue reading Chinese student allowed to stay in Australia after six year sentence for drug trafficking
Australia’s partnerships with China and Japan
Australia and the two great powers in Asia, China and Japan - the former already economically dominant, the latter enjoying an unexpected renaissance - depend on each other for their economic and strategic futures. Here the ambassadors of those countries, interviewed in their Canberra offices, speak with rare frankness about how they view the big … Continue reading Australia’s partnerships with China and Japan
Australian debt may grow beyond $300 billion limit
Australia's debt could breach the government's legislated $300 billion maximum limit this calendar year as the outlook for Australia's resource sector deteriorates. Treasury's senior budget official, Nigel Ray, told the Senate economics committee last week that the debt was expected to rise no further than $290bn in 2013-14, based on the budget forecasts. Although it … Continue reading Australian debt may grow beyond $300 billion limit
Cyber bully China cannot be denied, including by Australia
The Gillard government should publicly reveal what it knows about the severity of Chinese cyber attacks on Australian interests and engage with its leaders on the issue, the nation’s top defence research group says. “Both the US and the UK have ‘called out’ China publicly for its relentless cyber assaults,” Tobias Feakin, senior analyst for … Continue reading Cyber bully China cannot be denied, including by Australia
Australian report unclear what China does with hacked data
Cyber espionage is giving China's intelligence agencies vast amounts of information but it's unclear what they're doing with the data or whether it's useful, a new study says. A paper by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says the scale of Chinese cyber-operations is vast, with United States President Barack Obama raising it in recent talks … Continue reading Australian report unclear what China does with hacked data
India is now the biggest source of migrants to Australia
India has become the leading source of permanent migrants to Australia for the first time, ahead of China, a government report showed on Monday. Reflecting the growing prominence of Asia to Australia, seven of the top 10 source countries during 2011-2012 were from the region, Australia's Migration Trends study showed. "Between 1996 and 2011, Australia's … Continue reading India is now the biggest source of migrants to Australia
Australian farmers want to establish Indonesian abattoir for Asian sales
The West Australian Farmers Federation is hopeful the state's live-cattle exporters can establish an abattoir in Indonesia to build markets throughout Asia. Such a move would reduce the need for producers to rely on Indonesian specifications, including the maximum 350kg weight rule for each imported beast. Yesterday WA farmers were underwhelmed by news that Indonesia's … Continue reading Australian farmers want to establish Indonesian abattoir for Asian sales
China steals Australian spy agency blueprints in cyber attack
Classified blueprints of the new ASIO headquarters in Canberra have been stolen in a cyber hit believed to have been mounted by hackers in China. The ABC's Four Corners program has discovered the plans were taken in an operation targeting a contractor involved with building the site. The stolen blueprints included the building's security and … Continue reading China steals Australian spy agency blueprints in cyber attack
Chinese spies woo Australian business leaders
Some of Australia's most influential business leaders were feted in China by an intelligence platform of the People's Liberation Army, a Fairfax investigation has revealed. Andrew Forrest, who touted his talks with the leaders last month as a lesson on how to be friendly with China, was joined by the heads of four of the … Continue reading Chinese spies woo Australian business leaders
Australia’s relationship with China is beset with misperceptions
For all its vision and clarity, Australia's defence white paper belies a harsh truth: our relationship with China is beset with misperceptions, write Kerry Brown and Bates Gill. China is beset The Australian Defence White Paper released this month takes a strongly positive position on China. "Australia welcomes China's rise", it states, and "does not … Continue reading Australia’s relationship with China is beset with misperceptions
Chinese companies claim they are ‘treated unfairly’ by Australia
China's state-owned companies may be deterred from investing in Australia because they are being treated unfairly, a Chinese business leader says. Chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia, Hu Shanjun, said Australia was still a popular place for Chinese groups to invest, but that could change. Mr Hu, who also heads the Bank … Continue reading Chinese companies claim they are ‘treated unfairly’ by Australia
Former Australian Prime Minister says US v China debate is ‘infantile’
Business leaders need to see beyond the "infantile" debate of a choice between China and the US when mapping Australia's future economic success, says John Howard, in a view that has won support from senior Obama administration officials. And, writing exclusively today for The Australian, Australia's ambassador to Washington, Kim Beazley, says Australian businesses are … Continue reading Former Australian Prime Minister says US v China debate is ‘infantile’
China was furious because Australia would not submit to its demands under Kevin Rudd
One of Australia's foremost China experts says then prime minister Kevin Rudd may have fallen victim to "bite your friend" syndrome during his dealings with the Asian power, as Beijing expected too much in return.In a paper to be released today by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Ross Terrill, once described by the Chinese as … Continue reading China was furious because Australia would not submit to its demands under Kevin Rudd
Australian frigate joins US Navy in East China Sea mission
An Australian Navy frigate joined the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet on Monday for a three-month embed, the latest example of tightening links during a time of heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. The modified Perry-class frigate HMAS Sydney is now docked at Yokosuka’s naval harbour, where its 217-member crew will prepare for a patrol as … Continue reading Australian frigate joins US Navy in East China Sea mission
China dismisses Australia’s defence white paper, says it changes nothing
China has warned that Labor's new white paper is a political document unlikely to bring major changes to Canberra's defence strategy or alter Australia's position in the Asia-Pacific region. Han Feng, a deputy director at the China Academy of Social Science, a think tank closely linked to the Communist Party and government, said the paper … Continue reading China dismisses Australia’s defence white paper, says it changes nothing
New Australian defence white paper fails to recognise China as any threat whatsoever
Asia is a potentially turbulent region, yet Australia has no sensible defence strategy. For more than 40 years Australia has been able to assume that it is a secure country in a peaceful region. That has kept its defence needs low and defence budget modest. Now Asia is changing fast, and the old assumptions no … Continue reading New Australian defence white paper fails to recognise China as any threat whatsoever
Australia won’t be drawn into ‘mythical’ US-China war says defence consultant
The view that war between the US and China is inevitable and that Australia will be drawn into such a conflict is a dangerous miscalculation, says defence white paper author Paul Dibb. The comments to be made tonight by Mr Dibb will follow those by Julia Gillard, who yesterday deplored "false modesty" in our relationship … Continue reading Australia won’t be drawn into ‘mythical’ US-China war says defence consultant
Australia gives up hope on China over free trade agreement
Australia has given-up hopes for a comprehensive free trade agreement with China and will instead focus its efforts on a scaled-back agriculture-focused deal with the Chinese government. The decision comes as China and Australia are deadlocked in negotiations on a free trade agreement because of a dispute about state-owned assets, trade minister Craig Emerson said. … Continue reading Australia gives up hope on China over free trade agreement
Experts warn that China’s main motive in new deal is to prise Australia away from US
The "strategic partnership" announced this week between Australia and China is widely viewed within China and by experts internationally as a move in which Beijing hopes to start prising Canberra away from Washington on security matters. But this is a long-term strategy, which is easier for China's new leaders, who anticipate a 10-year term ahead, … Continue reading Experts warn that China’s main motive in new deal is to prise Australia away from US
Australian Prime Minister strengthens military alliance with China, ignores 2009 report of threat
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard today will unveil a 10-year plan to tighten Australia's embrace of China, flagging three-nation military exercises to include the US and more Chinese investment in Australia. The declaration comes as Canberra and Beijing have clinched a deal for an annual meeting mechanism between the Australian prime minister and the Chinese … Continue reading Australian Prime Minister strengthens military alliance with China, ignores 2009 report of threat
Australia and China agree to new annual leaders’ forum; few other outcomes of China trip
Australia and China have agreed to top level strategic talks to strengthen and provide direction to an economically crucial relationship which also presents vast opportunities. In one of the few immediate outcomes from Julia Gillard's high-octane charm offensive to China which wraps up on Wednesday, a new annual leaders' forum has been agreed, effectively mirroring … Continue reading Australia and China agree to new annual leaders’ forum; few other outcomes of China trip
Canberra doesn’t understand reality of China-Japan conflict, or consequences to Australia
In the event of a conflict between China and Japan, it's hard to think of a country that would be more exposed than Australia. Yet several leading defence scholars have warned that this prospect is receiving little attention from policy-makers and academics, and Australia is in denial about the risks. Defence specialist and consultant Ross … Continue reading Canberra doesn’t understand reality of China-Japan conflict, or consequences to Australia
Craig Hill 