Aussie China News
A weekly roundup of your favourite (and least favourite) Australian digital media coverage of China.
Hello everyone and welcome to a new (late) issue of Aussie China News!
This post covers Australian digital news and commentary on China between Friday 18th August and Saturday 26th August.
News
Politics
This week, we start with the Minster of Foreign Affairs commenting on last week’s issue in the spotlight, Cheng Lei:
Penny Wong - Interview with Sarah Ferguson
ABC 7.30, Tue 22 Aug 2023
Ferguson: “Imprisoned Australian Cheng Lei gave a statement to the Australian people on this programme a couple of weeks ago. I think a lot of Australians were shocked when they heard about some of the conditions of her imprisonment, including very limited access to sunlight. I think she described her bedding being aired just once a year. Is there any influence you can bring to bear on the Chinese to improve the conditions of her situation?”
Foreign Minister: “Well, I work to bring whatever influence I can to advocacy for Ms Cheng Lei, also for Dr Yang. We have made clear at all senior levels in our engagement with China and our Chinese counterparts that these are important matters, that we wish to see them reunited with their family. I think all Australians were very moved by what your programme aired, and what Ms Cheng Lei said or wrote, and all Australians would be united in wanting a mother to be reunited with her family.”
But we quickly move on to an intense week in China news, with mentions of Taiwan visits, economic coercion…
Australian MPs preparing for trip to Taiwan, with visit to be closely watched by Beijing
Stephen Dziedzic, ABC, Tue 22 Aug 2023
Under its one China policy, the Australian government does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign country, but maintains informal political connections. The trip by the Australian delegation will be closely monitored by China. The visit to Taiwan comes as Australian officials engage in delicate negotiations with their Chinese counterparts over a series of high-level meetings.
‘Australians know’: Germany warns against relying on Beijing
Matthew Knott, AFR, Tue 22 Aug 2023
Germany’s foreign minister has praised Australia for serving as a role model for resisting Chinese economic coercion, labelling the rising superpower a systemic rival too unpredictable and secretive for other nations to rely on. In a forceful speech in which she repeatedly name-checked China and warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against invading Taiwan, Annalena Baerbock said Beijing’s rise was challenging the “very fundamentals of how we live together in this world”.
…and of course, the BRICS.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia to join China and Russia in BRICS bloc
ABC, Fri 25 Aug 2023
More than 20 countries had formally applied to join BRICS ahead of the this year's summit and more than 20 others had expressed interest. China and Russia have been pushing for expansion, while Brazil and India have been wary. The five BRICS leaders were in closed-door discussions for two days before annoucing the expansion.
Never heard of BRICS? Here's what it is and why more than 40 countries are keen to join
Stevie Zhang, ABC, Thu 24 Aug 2023
Global tensions heightened by the war in Ukraine and the growing rivalry between China and the US have added urgency to strengthen the bloc, which has at times suffered from internal divisions and a lack of coherent vision.Nearly two dozen countries have officially applied to join, meaning the group could need a new acronym very soon.
Rival to the G7: Russia, China invite rich Islamic nations to join BRICS
Latika Bourke, The Sydney Morning Herald, Fri 25 Aug 2023
The BRICS group of countries has invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join the club, which China wants to operate as a rival to the G7. BRICS currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; the latter hosted this year’s summit in Johannesburg. The proposed expansion would more than double the number of member states.
Security
Another huge week in the security domain as well, with military deals, drills and more spies.
‘Uncertain world’: $1.7bn missile boost for Australia amid concerns about China’s military build up
Courtney Gould, news.com.au, Sun 20 Aug 2023
Australia will soon be equipped with more than 200 state of the art long range missiles, amid concerns about China’s military build up.
AUKUS subs deal ‘could worsen US shortfall, blunt China deterrence’
Andrew Tillett, AFR, Mon 21 Aug 2023
Selling Australia three Virginia-class submarines could worsen the US Navy’s shortfall of nuclear-powered submarines and leave it almost a third below its goal for the size of the fleet, a new report for US legislators warns. The US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report also posits AUKUS could fail to live up to its deterrence objectives with nuclear-powered submarines in Australian hands.
Beijing spies team up to groom West targets
Fiona Hamilton and Jacqueline Magnay, The Australian, Thu 24 Aug 2023
A newly identified Chinese operative known as “Mike” worked alongside “Ken”, “Evelyn” and “Zhang” at the Chinese Ministry of State Security seeking to infiltrate Western defence, military, scientific and political targets, The Australian can reveal.
Australian, US and Filipino forces practice retaking island in combat drills along the South China Sea
ABC, Fri 25 Aug 2023
About 2,000 soldiers from three countries took part in the combat drills. Richard Marles said the military exercise aimed to promote the rule of law and peace in the region. It comes after a flare-up between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.
HMAS Canberra & Anzac operating in South China Sea
ABC, Mon 21 Aug 2023
Two Australian warships are operating off the Philippines coast, where territorial tensions with Beijing over the South China Sea are again threatening to boil over.Australia, US and Japan plan joint navy drills in disputed South China Sea
ABC, Mon 21 Aug 2023
The drill will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers. Their commanders are set to meet with their Philippine counterparts in Manila after the offshore drills. It comes after six Chinese coast guard ships and two militia vessels blocked a Philippines' attempt to resupply forces stationed on a shoal.
Economics and trade
And these days, no week goes by without some gloom over the Chinese economy:
Why China’s wobbles are starting to make Australian investors nervous
Clancy Yeates and Millie Muroi, The Sydney Morning Herald, Sat 26 Aug 2023
When China dumped its COVID-zero policies in late 2022, financial markets were optimistic the world’s second-largest economy would rebound quickly as stringent restrictions were unwound. As 2023 has worn on, things have not worked out that way. There are now growing fears that this global growth machine is spluttering. Moreover, some market watchers worry the Chinese government may not come to the economic rescue as it has in the past and provide a massive stimulus to its trading partners.
Society
Which caused some rich people to become less rich:
Yang Huiyan is Country Garden's billionaire heiress, but her fortune was just cut in half
Kathleen Calderwood, ABC, Fri 25 Aug 2023
Just two years ago, Yang Huiyan was the mysterious majority stakeholder of a sprawling real estate empire worth billions of dollars. But in a stunning reversal of fortune triggered by China's ongoing property woes, she is now locked in a desperate battle to prevent the collapse of the company founded by her father, Yang Guoqiang.
China’s fresh Evergrande mess isn’t only warning sign for investors
AFR, Fri 25 Aug 2023
The speed at which the words ‘Evergrande’ and ‘bankruptcy’ spread on Friday morning suggest this episode could have an outsized impact on already weakened sentiment.
Opinion and analysis
And filled up our Opinion and Analysis section:
The health of China's economy could determine whether a recession is on the cards in Australia
David Taylor, ABC, Sat 19 Aug 2023
The Australian dollar has fallen from 68.8 US cents on June 15 to 64 US cents this week. That's a drop of roughly 7 per cent — a significant drop for any currency, but especially the Australian dollar. The benchmark stock exchange index has also fallen 6 per cent from its all-time high. Every time a currency trader or a share investor buys or sells, there's a reason behind it — and the millions of decisions made every day by investors tell a story. The story forming now is one of worry.
The shrinking factor set to plague China’s economy
Gideon Rachman, AFR, Tue 22 Aug 2023
Like Japan and South Korea, the Asian giant has an ageing and declining population, but it has fewer ways to manage the change.
Despite the risks, Australian exports to China are booming again
David Uren, The Strategist, Tue 22 Aug 2023
The Chinese economy may be softening and commodity prices falling, but Australia’s exports to China hit a record $102.5 billion in the first half of this year thanks to massive shipments of lithium concentrate.
China's miracle economy is grinding to a halt, and the consequences are already affecting the rest of the world
Ian Verrender, ABC, Tue 22 Aug 2023
Its military satellites crisscross the continent, keeping a watchful eye on army exercises with our allies. Its weapons are dispatched to all corners of the globe, from the Republic of Congo in Africa, to Venezuela in Latin America, and across Asia from Myanmar to Indonesia. But for much of the past 15 years, China has been developing a different kind of bomb, one that now has become increasingly unstable and that threatens to detonate from within.
‘It’s breaking down’: Can China contain its economic crisis?
Mike Seccombe, The Saturday Paper, Sat 26 Aug 2023
As China teeters on the edge of a balance sheet recession, it’s clear Australia can no longer rely on its largest trading partner to pull it out of trouble.
But don’t miss all the other topics in opinion this week!
Getting the grain out of Ukraine is China’s chance to step in
Jacinta Keast, The Strategist, Mon 21 Aug 2023
Russia may have a war interest in blocking Ukraine’s grain but its partner, China, is likely to push for a new grain deal. Russia’s actions clash with China’s longstanding practice of courting countries in the global south, and Beijing will hesitate to side with Russia in devastating their food security. How China brokers such a deal will reveal the limits of the Russia–China relationship.
India doubles down on regional connectivity to counter China
Henry Storey, The Interpreter, Mon 21 Aug 2023
New Delhi has big advantages in its South Asia infrastructure push – even if outspending China isn’t one of them.
Academic freedom needs protection from all stripes — not just China
Wanning Sun, Crickey, Wed 23 Aug 2023
Chinese influence and foreign interference on Australian campuses are serious issues, but the media risks reporting one-sided narratives.
Australia’s deterrence strategy and the question of targeting China
Euan Graham, The Strategist, Thu 24 Aug 2023
Australia’s basic challenge in seeking to deter a major power such as China is scale. Asymmetry in military capabilities is no barrier for smaller powers seeking to deter bigger adversaries, provided the latter believe that the costs of operations exceed the value to be gained by prosecuting them. With a small military, Australia must work hard to achieve any kind of deterrent effect. It should therefore be willing to accept greater strategic risk. Strikes (both kinetic and non-kinetic) that create a disproportionate response can be effective.
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