US-China tensions: how vulnerable is the Australian economy? - in conversation with John Edwards

November 28 2019

Friction between the US and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across multiple domains, particularly trade and technology, continues to grow unabated. Market barriers, state subsidies, currency manipulation, forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft are just a few points of contention in a lengthy list of disputes between the two countries. Human rights are also gaining an increasing prominence in the strained relationship, with the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed in the US House of Representatives on October 15 and the US’ placement of travel restrictions on PRC officials and blacklisting of 28 PRC governmental and commercial organisations involved in the detention or abuse of the Turkic Muslim minority in Xinjiang.

As tensions in the US-China relationship roil global currents, how much does Australia stand to lose or gain? How is Australia positioned to respond?

The Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI) was pleased to host Dr John Edwards, former Reserve Bank of Australia board member, HSBC chief economist and senior economics adviser to Prime Minister Paul Keating, who provided an analysis of developments in the US-China relationship and their implications for Australia, as well as an assessment of where the dispute might be headed.

Time: 6.00pm - 7.30pm

About the speaker:

John Edwards

Dr John Edwards is a Senior Fellow at the Lowy Institute, a former member of the Reserve Bank Board, and winner of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Prize for Literature in the history section. Dr Edwards is also an Adjunct Professor with the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin University.

Dr Edwards was principal economic adviser to Treasurer and then Prime Minister, Paul Keating. From 1997 to 2009, Dr Edwards was Chief Economist for Australia and New Zealand for HSBC.

Earlier in his career he was a political and economic journalist in Sydney, Canberra, and Washington. He joined The Australian Financial Review in 1970, and his subsequent roles included Political Correspondent of The Australian, and Economics Editor of Bulletin magazine and the Sydney Morning Herald’s correspondent in Washington.

His articles on economic issues have appeared in the Financial Times, The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, Nikkei Asian Review and numerous other publications. He has given evidence on economic issues before parliamentary committees, and presented briefings for government officials and ministers.

He has published six books, including an account of Australian economic policy making under the former Treasurer and Prime Minister Keating: The Inside Story (Viking 1996).