This week’s topics: Nanjing Massacre, democratic solidarity, Zoom/censorship, CCP members 1. Nanjing Massacre China marked its National Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre 南京大屠杀死难者国家公祭日 with a solemn public ceremony in Nanjing on December 13. Eighty-three years have passed, but the collective memory of the event still exerts an emotional pull on … more
India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said last week that the deadly clashes on the disputed Sino-Indian border this year had “completely changed national sentiment” in his country towards China. There is evidence that Beijing recognises the dangerous double-edged sword of nationalist public opinion in India. So far, this recognition of Indian public opinion’s role in … more
With official relations at a new low, it is easy to be pessimistic about Australia-China relations. But there are many actors involved in Australia-China diplomacy. These connections can help provide communication channels for when official relations are frosty. They also bring economic, educational and cultural benefits. I was at a webinar earlier this year where … more
This week’s topics: Politburo meeting, overseas lending, detained Chinese journalist 1. Politburo Meeting Friday’s Politburo meeting readout (Chinese | English) mentioned three items: economic policy work for 2021, plans for anti-corruption work for 2021, and rules for elections in local Party organisations. According to the readout, the Politburo assesses that 2020 has been a good … more
The “China Initiative” kicked off its third year with the U.S. Department of Justice reporting that it has made substantial progress to date and the work of countering national security threats emanating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues apace. With only a little over a month before President-elect Biden is sworn in, however, … more
Mutually beneficial trade links may appear tempting to use as political leverage in theory, but there are a number of reasons why the reality of attempting to put theory into practice is more complicated. Recent events in the Australia-China context make for a salient case study of why this is the case. Deep economic complementarities … more
Joe Biden’s policy vis-a-vis the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will ultimately be framed not only by the political, economic, technological and social conditions in the US, but also by the changing dynamics between the PRC and other countries in Asia. This, in turn, will shape Australia’s foreign policy choices as well. The beginnings of … more
This week’s topics: Zhao’s tweet, visa restrictions, MeToo and Archaeology 1. Twitter storm in a teacup Much ink has been spilled over China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s controversial tweet and the subsequent Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “emergency press conference”. Morrion’s strong reaction may make himself and others feel good for the … more
The competition to implement a sovereign digital currency is in full swing with central banks around the world investigating its feasibility. A digital currency may solve some challenges relating to economic and financial inclusion, but it also has the potential to change the shape of global financial markets. China is well ahead of the pack … more
If the post-Cold war era has a dominant characteristic, it may be that sources of threat are much less clear and military conflict less common. In these conditions of uncertainty, Southeast Asian states are adopting a security stance often described as “hedging”; aligning neither with China nor the United States. In the absence of clear … more
