Foreign affairs

In recent years, actions taken by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) affecting the rights of both its own citizenry and foreign nationals have heightened international concerns, including in Australia.

Since 2016 the Australian government has become increasingly vocal about human rights as an issue of concern with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Recently this has focused on the mass detention and forced indoctrination of the PRC’s Turkic Muslim population in the northwest province of Xinjiang. Prior to 2016, the PRC’s human rights record was primarily confined to closed-door discussions between Australian and PRC government officials.

By Jane Golley and James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in the South China Morning Post on July 31 2019. It is an edited version of an essay authored for the Asia Society Australia's thought-leadership series, 'Disruptive Asia', published on July 26 2019. 

Updated August 5 2019.

By Jane Golley and James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in the Asia Society Australia’s thought-leadership series, Disruptive Asia, on July 26 2019.

Updated August 5 2019.  

By James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in The Australian Institute of International Affairs’ blog, Australian Outlook, on July 24 2019.

The Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI) hosted a highly interactive one-day masterclass presented by Australia’s leading China experts for senior executives of industry.

The UTS:ACRI China Masterclass was in response to the vital need of industry leaders to gain a deeper understanding of today’s China - its economy, politics, foreign policy, including a rapidly expanding strategic rivalry with the US - and how this translated in Australia.

The Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI) welcomed two former BHP Billiton Chairs of Australian Studies at Peking University, Professor Greg McCarthy (Chair 2016-2019) and Professor David Walker (inaugural Chair, 2012-2015), to provide unique perspectives on how the Australia-China bilateral relationship has been discussed in China, the state of the relationship now, and where it might be headed.  

Following the Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) federal election defeat on May 18 2019, Bill Shorten stepped down as leader of the party. Anthony Albanese, a long-term ALP frontbencher, became the ALP’s leader-elect on May 27 after an uncontested leadership ballot, and was formally endorsed as Opposition Leader on May 30. While Mr Albanese is supportive of Australian engagement with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and of strengthening bilateral economic ties, he has also positioned himself as having due regard to the need to balance this against security considerations.

The Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI) held a lunchtime seminar to discuss UTS:ACRI’s recently released report, ‘Australia’s strategic hedging in the Indo-Pacific: A ‘third way’ beyond either China or the US’, authored by Dr Lai-Ha Chan, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at UTS.

By Elena Collinson

Note: This article appeared in the Australian Institute of International Affairs’ blog, Australian Outlook, on May 9 2019.