China Neican: 26 October 2020

This week’s topics: Cross-strait relations, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, and Nationalism and censorship online. 1. Cross-strait relations China and the US are moving on a collision course with respect to Taiwan. War is still highly unlikely in the short term, however, given the interests of both sides in avoiding such catastrophe. But … more

“When a scholar meets a soldier …”: Why I’ve decided not to speak to the senate inquiry on diaspora communities in Australia

Last year, on an episode of The Minefield, I discussed a tendency towards “internal othering” in Australia’s public discourse, with particular reference to Chinese communities in Australia. In my conversation with Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens, I posed these questions: “At what point can we say that this person of Chinese heritage has been here … more

WeChat ban a catch-22 for Chinese Australians

Chinese social media network WeChat is facing global scrutiny and possible bans due to its handling of user data privacy, its censorship and surveillance practices and the widespread misinformation and propaganda campaigns it hosts supposedly on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Yet members of the Chinese diaspora in Australia continue to use WeChat as their … more

Senator Abetz’s loyalty test

Chinese Australians are being singled out by overwrought politicians Little did I know that the very concerns I raised in my submission to the parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s diaspora communities would play out at the committee hearing in Canberra last Wednesday, the day I had been asked to attend and share my thoughts. I had … more

Inside Out: China’s Forgotten Domestic Politics

The departure of journalists in China working for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post in March, followed by those working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Financial Review in September, might have given some in the Chinese elite leadership a temporary sense of satisfaction. The journalists working for American … more

China Neican: 19 October 2020

This week’s topics: Chinese-Australians, Shenzhen’s 40th anniversary, and Beijing’s assessment of US power 1. Chinese-Australians Hi everyone, it’s Yun here. I have a few things to say about the latest saga that I’ve unfortunately become part of. There has already been much media coverage on this. For those who have not been following, essentially a … more

The dangerous game of gender inequality: domestic violence and the erosion of women’s rights in China

The recent murder of a Tibetan woman by her ex-husband has ignited social media fury over the lack of protections available to Chinese women who experience domestic violence. It follows several similar cases that have provoked outrage in online spaces in China, fuelling debate about the widespread nature of domestic violence, and demands to strengthen … more

Where are the women in Australia’s China debate?

Australia has a gender problem in international affairs demonstrated not only in government leadership, but also in related discourse. With Sino-Australia relations in the spotlight due to COVID-19 and increased tensions in the bilateral relationship, it is vital that we examine the debate through a gendered lens. Australia’s China debate reflects broader diversity issues within … more

Neican: 11 October 2020

This week’s topics: National consciousness, Domestic violence, Views of China 1. Chinese national consciousness A fortnight ago in Neican, we argued that Beijing’s assimilationist policies in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia are driven by its agenda to “forge a common [Chinese] identity” and as a result, “minorities are being forced to melt in a Han-dominant … more