For more than two decades, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy lawmakers played a game rigged against them. On 11 November, they had finally had enough. “We are facing a totally new paradigm,” said Wu Chi-wai, head of the Democratic Party and convenor of the opposition camp. “We choose to stand with our colleagues who were disqualified. We will … more
Confucius Institutes have always been controversial because of their links to the Chinese government and their physical location on university campuses. Academics, the media and the general public have raised concerns that they could restrict academic freedom, spread propaganda and allow the Chinese government to influence universities. In the context of increasing apprehension about China … more
The growing tensions between Australia and China are often attributed to external factors. But Australia’s policy towards China is also an expression of the Liberal–National coalition government’s domestic politics. It is the connection between domestic and foreign affairs that provides the political ballast for the government’s China policy. In both, ‘national sovereignty’ is invoked to … more
This week’s topics: Hong Kong, monopoly regulation, ASEAN, foreign interference 1. Beijing ousts opposition legislators in HK The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislative body, passed a resolution on Wednesday, mandating the immediate disqualification of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council members who: advocates or supports the cause of “Hong Kong independence” … more
Since May this year, India and China have been involved in a serious confrontation along their disputed boundary known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China has pushed its version of the LAC further westwards at multiple locations in the Western Sector of the dispute in eastern Ladakh/Aksai Chin. This is in clear violation … more
The Taiwan Strait is a key hotspot in the intensifying US-China rivalry, where the two superpowers’ spheres of influence overlap. Beijing claims the area as a uncompromisable “core interest” of sovereignty and territorial integrity, while the US seeks to maintain its close economic, political and security relationship with Taiwan. Whether it likes it or not, … more
This week’s topics: US-China relation under Biden, Ant Group IPO, Australia-China trade, Foreign interference. 1. US-China relations under Biden There is no doubt that US policy on China sits at the top of President-elect Biden’s list of foreign policy priorities. At the moment, the US faces many internal challenges that reduce its ability to engage … more
Concern about China’s creeping influence in Australia has dominated headlines in recent years. So it makes sense, from a national security perspective, to understand and engage with the very communities most at risk of China’s meddling: Australians of Chinese heritage. That’s certainly the view of Duncan Lewis, the former Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence … more
This week’s topics: Fifth Plenum, 14th Five Year Plan, disinformation, pro-Trump and anti-CCP alliance. 1. Fifth Plenum The Fifth Plenum of CCP Central Committee concluded on Thursday in Beijing after four days behind closed doors. For background on the plenum, see Neican issues of August 2 and October 5, and a short video made by … more
Xi Jinping talks a lot about a possible ‘community of shared destiny’. Sounds like a good idea, but one that’s sharply at odds with much recent Chinese foreign policy. Nevertheless, it could offer a way of resetting the PRC’s international relations, especially if it is based on common environmental problems. For someone who is not … more
