Foreign affairs

By Bob Carr

This year Australia declared rhetorical war on China.

The words being used by Australian leaders are the harshest any time since diplomatic relations commenced in 1972, with the exception of comments at the time of Tiananmen. The tone is harsher than that of any other US ally, including Japan.

By James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in the Lowy Institute for International Policy's blog, The Interpreter, on September 21 2017.

China is Canada's second largest trading partner. In 2016, two-way goods trade was worth C$60 billion. This is up 28 percent on five years ago. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has voiced a desire to double trade between Canada and China by 2025. Last year also saw Chinese investment in Canada top C$7 billion. There are risks, however, should the US-China relationship deteriorate, or if China decides to divert purchases to the US rather than Canada to reduce the trade surplus with the former. How is Canada managing these challenges?

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in The Australian Financial Review on September 14 2017.

In July the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) reported on an apparent tilt in the China policy of Canberra, reflected in speeches by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (see ACRI fact sheet ‘Australia’s tilt on China).[1] Recently, however, the opposition Labor Party appears to be differentiating itself on China policy. This is reflected in three recent speeches by Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong.

On September 13 the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) presented the second event in their Chinese History Series. Dr Jayne Persian from the University of Southern Queensland joined Professor Heather Goodall from UTS and Daphne Lowe Kelly from the Chinese Australian Historical Society to discuss the White Australia Policy in Australian politics, and in particular her research on Arthur Calwell. Calwell became Minister for Immigration in Ben Chifley's post-war Labor government.

On January 26, in a speech to the US-Australia Dialogue on Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in Los Angeles, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop supported a position where China’s rise is balanced by an expanded US role in the Indo-Pacific region:[1]

Last updated June 26 2017.

Despite recent negative publicity in the media, three polls provide evidence of a generally positive view of Australians to China. The polls were undertaken by the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney; the Lowy Institute for International Policy; and global marketing and opinion research company Ipsos. The three polls also enable comparisons with our attitudes towards the United States.

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in The Australian on June 10 2017.

Let’s be clear. Efforts by any country to subvert Australia should be investigated, monitored and brought to light. Yes, let’s ban donations from non-citizens. Let’s go further still — my own suggestion — and ban any donations that might reasonably be suspected as seeking to influence Australian foreign policy.

By Elena Collinson and James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in the University of Nottingham's China Policy Institute: Analysis on June 6 2017.