Stories

Dancing with the dragon: a review of “China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the New Global Order”

Posted on 4 February 2021 by Vishesh Agarwal

Geoff Raby’s recent book, “China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the New Global Order”, is a timely intervention. The book provides a clear-headed assessment of the choices Australian policymakers face today regarding its biggest foreign policy challenge — the rise of China. Raby argues that Australian leaders must eschew containment of China as their … more

Australia is Not Being Invaded

Posted on 2 February 2021 by Gerald Roche

Content warning: genocide, murder; contains spoilers about the novel Bruny by Heather Rose In the 2019 novel Bruny, Tasmanian author Heather Rose proposes a scenario where the entire state is sold to the Chinese. The Tasmanian population is then exiled to Bruny Island, off the southeast coast of Tasmania. Although the author describes this narrative … more

Stigmatising China connections: Problems with research on research collaborations

Posted on 22 January 2021 by Yun Jiang

Researchers of Chinese heritage have come under increasing suspicion in countries such as the US, Australia and New Zealand, as potential sources of national security threats. In recent years, media reports have regularly insinuated their wrongdoing and divided loyalties. These stories are often based on studies that purportedly reveal the shadowy connections between these researchers … more

Neican: Strategic Vision, US strategy, US sanctions

Posted on 20 January 2021 by Yun JiangAdam Ni

1. Strategic vision and Xi’s timescape Xi Jinping proclaimed that China has entered a “new development stage” (新发展阶段) in a speech to the Party’s top cadres on January 11. This speech deserves our attention because this is the first time a top Chinese leader has articulated this new concept. So what is this “new development … more

The RCEP is a Win for China

Posted on 14 January 2021 by William Yuen Yee

The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership represents a setback for U.S. trade leadership and a significant win for China. While the historic free trade agreement that will add US$500 billion to world trade by 2030 is often inaccurately deemed “China-led,” it nonetheless strengthens China’s position in the Asia-Pacific. China will use the RCEP … more

Neican: The Capitol, Hong Kong, United Front, 996

Posted on 12 January 2021 by Yun JiangAdam Ni

1. The storming of the Capitol The storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters is a vivid reminder that national security threats don’t just come from the “outside” but often originate at home, and sometimes within the government itself. A myopic focus on China that squeezes out other national security priorities could be just as … more