Foreign affairs

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in The Australian Financial Review on November 12 2018.

That the mob always gets it right is cornerstone wisdom of Australian politics, often confirmed by polling that shows the public’s deeply rooted common sense.

The latest developments in Australia-China relations in October 2018 by Elena Collinson, Senior Project and Research Officer, Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), University of Technology Sydney (UTS). 

When Australia talks about China, the China Opportunity and the China Challenge forms part of the discourse. The China Opportunity reflects the enormous economic benefits that Australia already derives from its $184 billion trade relationship with China, along with the potential for this to grow even further as 850 million more Chinese reach middle class status by 2030, placing Australian beef, wine, education and tourism within their grasp. Strands of China’s foreign policy also favour an approach of multilateral engagement in line with the preferences of the Australian government.

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in The Australian Financial Review on October 24 2018.

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in The Australian on October 22 2018.

Alexander Downer chewed ruminatively on his steak: ‘If you want a cold war with China, you will get a cold war with China.’

I had just been appointed foreign minister and was consulting my predecessors. Downer implied cold war was not smart diplomacy and not in Australia’s interest.

The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney launched a new report by Professor James Laurenceson, ACRI Deputy Director, entitled 'Do the claims stack up? Australia talks China'.

The latest developments in Australia-China relations in September 2018 by Elena Collinson, Senior Project and Research Officer, Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), University of Technology Sydney (UTS). 

By Elena Collinson

Note: This article appeared in the Australian Institute of International Affairs' blog, Australian Outlook, on October 4 2018.

From Gough Whitlam to Tony Abbott, Australia has pursued a pragmatic, national interest-based China policy that, in John Howard’s words, set differences to one side and worked on the things we could agree on. Under Howard and earlier Labor Prime Ministers Australia told China that nothing in our alliance obligations would drive us into conflict with China. Other US allies implicitly take the same approach.

By Elena Collinson

Note: This article appeared in The Diplomat on September 11 2018.