Economics

By Xunpeng Shi, James Cheong and Michael Zhou

Key takeaways

By Michael Zhou and Thomas Pantle

Note: This article appeared in The China Story, a blog by the Australian Centre on China in the World and the China Policy Centre, on December 9 2020.

By James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in the South China Morning Post on December 2 2020.

By James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in The Conversation, on November 12 2020.

China’s increasingly belligerent threats to close its markets to Australian exports have excited talk of a full-blown trade war.

But let’s not panic. These threats are best understood as psychological warfare, not a statement of reality.

Perspectives is UTS:ACRI's monthly commentary series, featuring a piece on a topical subject in the Australia-China relationship from an invited expert contributor. 

By Merriden Varrall

By James Laurenceson

Note: A German translation of this article appeared in Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft (International Politics and Society) Journal on October 27 2020.

Iron ore has long been a dominant component of Australia’s exports to the People's Republic of China (PRC). This means that even relatively small changes in the world price of iron ore can have a significant impact on the total value of Australia’s exports to the PRC. This fact sheet removes iron ore from the equation to more clearly see how other components of Australia’s exports to the PRC are evolving.

By Xunpeng Shi

Note: This article appeared in Asia & the Pacific Policy Society’s blog, Policy Forum, on October 21 2020.

By James Laurenceson and Thomas Pantle

Key takeaways

As Australia’s diplomatic relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) remains locked in a tense standoff with unclear prospects for reconciliation, the economic relationship – which has hitherto served as ballast for the broader bilateral relationship – also finds itself navigating increasingly uncertain waters. The imposition of a series of trade restrictions by the PRC government come amidst an ongoing debate in Australia about its trade exposure to the PRC and a backdrop of record-low levels of PRC investment in Australia.