Beijing ripped off the mask yesterday, releasing a dossier to Nine journalists accusing the Australian government of poisoning bilateral relations, including a handy list of 14 disputes. In briefing the media, a Chinese official reportedly remarked: “If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy.”
But is the dossier really “extraordinary”, as the Nine newspapers chose to label it?
“I was a bit underwhelmed,” said Australia China Relations Institute director James Laurenceson. “There’s really nothing on that list that we don’t already know China are already annoyed about.”
But more importantly, given the toxic state of bilateral relations, does Beijing have a point?
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Let’s go through the list:
Foreign investment decisions blocked on ‘opaque national security grounds’
Australia has indeed blocked investments. In August, Josh Frydenberg stopped a Japanese company’s sale of Australian beverage companies to China’s Mengniu Dairy, saying it was “contrary to the national interest”.
Blocking Huawei from 5G network
Once again, a thing we definitely did, and definitely knew would piss off China. The bone of contention here is whether our national security concerns were “unfounded”.
Foreign interference legislation viewed as targeting China
When introducing the legislation, Malcolm Turnbull cited media reports that the “Chinese Communist Party has been working to covertly interfere with our media, our universities”. While the legislation is neutral, it’s unsurprising China claims believes it’s targeted.
‘Politicisation and stigmatisation of normal exchanges … including the revoke of visas‘
Academic Cheng Hong had his Australian visa cancelled because he was in a WeChat group. It’s a sign of how deteriorating bilateral relations are drawing regular people into the diplomatic freeze.
Echoing the US’ call for an international inquiry into COVID-19
Laurenceson says China has a point here. Australia’s call for an international inquiry followed similar (but far more antagonistic) pronouncements from Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“If you were sitting in the Chinese embassy in Canberra and watching that, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to conclude that Australia and the US are colluding to attack China,” Laurenceson says.
‘Incessant wanton interference in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan affairs‘
China has concentration camps in Xinjiang. Beijing is squeezing the life out of Hong Kong’s democracy. Sure, Australia has absolutely criticised that, but compared to what China’s up to, that seems a bit innocuous.
‘The early dawn search and reckless seizure of Chinese journalists’ homes and property’
Chinese journalists were raided as part of a foreign interference investigation. Of course, Australian journalists in China were also harassed by security services, and had to leave the country.
‘First non-littoral country to make a statement to the UN on the South China Sea‘
Australia was indeed one of the first countries to make a statement responding to an arbitral tribunal ruling between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea.
Siding with the US and importing US disinformation over COVID-19
Ever since Peter Dutton demanded China provide “clarity” over the virus’ origins, Beijing has made this accusation. It’s true that Dutton’s claims are similar to those made by some in the Trump administration. Whether it amounts to “disinformation” is a tougher judgment call.
‘Torpedoing’ Victoria’s belt and road initiative
Scott Morrison has absolutely tried to veto states entering into agreements with foreign governments, and it’s absolutely triggered by concerns about Victoria’s belt and road initiative with China.
Funding anti-China think tanks and peddling lies about Xinjiang.
This is a reference to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which does get government funding and has annoyed Beijing a lot with its work. The institute has documented the scale of repression in Xinjiang. China says that research, picked up in media around the world, amounts to lies.
Allegations of cyber-attacks without evidence
Australia has repeatedly pointed the finger at China over cyber attacks. And China repeatedly says the allegations have no basis. Nothing new here.
Racist attacks against Chinese people and ‘outrageous’ condemnation of China
Racist attacks on Asian Australians increased during the pandemic. Recently, Liberal Senator Eric Abetz’s demand that Chinese Australians condemn the CCP was criticised as an act of racial McCarthyism.
Unfair or antangonistic reporting on China in the media
Compared to China, Australia has a free media with diversity of thought. But let’s not pretend we don’t have a problem with racist coverage. The pandemic also saw its share of outright false reporting on the origins of the virus in China.
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China’s pot to our very tiny kettke
The piece omits the fact the ASPI also receives funding from the US.
To quote from a piece by Marcus Rubenstein, at Michael West Media, on July 1st, this year;
“Perhaps ironically, IWPR is a not-for-profit set up to promote free journalism and “advocate for government and institutional accountability”. As to why a London-headquartered not-for-profit founded in the former Yugoslavia was making substantial payments to ASPI on behalf of the US State Department there was no explanation.
ASPI later revealed the US State Department was due to pay ASPI a further US$140,000 in the 2019-20 financial year. That payment will be made by the US Embassy in Canberra on behalf of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which is headed up by Lea Gabrielle, a former Fox News reporter controversially appointed to her position by the Trump Administration in 2019.”
That’s just 2 examples from a much longer list of funding from ‘foreign’ sources.
On ASPI having ‘documented the scale of repression in Xinjiang’ I suggest, rather than meek acceptance of peddled messaging, some critical examination of freely available evidence to the contrary.
I’d start with Danny Haiphong, a US citizen of Vietnamese extraction. Danny’s a ‘Contributing Editor’ at the excellent Black Agenda Report.
Danny’s been to Xinjiang, and has ‘testified’ to the fact he saw no concentration camps, and little oppression beyond attempting to free the citizens of Xinjiang from the documented (by the UN Security Council, including the US) extremism of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
Just back in August, in response to a question, as to why China doesn’t let journalists into Xinjiang, Danny replied;
“Journalists have been let in to Xinjiang, from 24 different countries, on two different occasions in January and July 2019. Reuters went and refuses to report on it. I travelled to Urumqi and had no issues. I am a journalist.”
One of Danny’s visits to Xinjiang was in a party of 6 from outside China. You can find his coverage of that visit at the Black Agenda Report.
Certainly I read anything from ASPI with a sceptical eye.
Bottom line: China has an understandably long memory. Invasion and occupation; “Manchukuo”; Shanghai; the Rape of Nanking. Why was there the need to sign on to a defense commitment that linked Oz armed forces to those of Japan? Oafish provocation.
Actually Max, I think this hastily organized trip to Japan was much more about Scottie from marketing being out of the country whilst Angus Campbell officially stated what most Australians have known for some time about the SAS.
The oafish looming over the Japanese PM and grinning inanely for the cameras was really only for the camera moment.
Exactly, Max. A certain Australia prime minister earned himself an appropriate nickname for facilitating the sale of pig-iron to Japan. It was re-formed as armaments for use against the Chinese and later our own troops. Travelling for several months in central China with my Chinese born partner, our journeys were frequently disrupted Xinjiang terrorists.
Do nations that isolate/detain refugees, or those that construct cages at their border, have the right to ‘cast the first stone’.
We should have unbiased reflective approach to China – for instance as the Chinese State all the land and there is no freehold – We should not allow any Chinese national or dual citizen own freehold property in any State in Australia – they could hold the property only in short term 25 to 30 year leasehold. Thereby there is no discrimination merely reflecting what is the Chinese normal
I think I read somewhere that Federal government funding for the ASPI increased from some $2-3 million in the last Budget to almost $20 million – If this was accurate we are not getting our money’s worth