It is an understatement to say that 2022 has not been a great year for the Chinese economy – and the world has taken note. With GDP growth projections ‘slashed’ by the World Bank in June, and again in September to 2.8 percent, there is no doubt that the Chinese government will fail to reach … more
As Australia-China relations plummeted to new lows in 2020, fractious debates about the causes – and possible solutions – reached new highs. There are at least five issues that are likely to remain contentious in 2021 and beyond. First, while there is no doubt that the Australian economy is highly dependent on China, there is … more
In a year that has been harrowing in so many ways, these last few weeks have been particularly unpleasant for many of us involved in the increasingly ugly and fractious “China debates”. Well before Senator Abetz’s alarming inquisition into the loyalties of three Chinese-Australians, I had been reflecting on my own part in these debates, … more
Chinese Ambassador Cheng’s supposed ‘threat’ to ‘boycott’ Australian goods dominated newspaper headlines across Australia last week. I’d like to explain here why I thought those headlines pushed the ‘news’ too far. The (Subjective) Facts After reading various newspaper reports, I found my way to the source of the information: an interview by Australian Financial Review … more
On April 16, Australian Centre on China in the World launched the China Story Yearbook: China Dreams through a webinar hosted by the Asia Society. In the webinar, Asia Society’s Richard Maude, Yearbook editor Jane Golley, and chapter authors Louisa Lim and Darren Lim discuss some of the many dreams, illusions, aspirations and nightmares that co-existed (and clashed) in 2019 in … more
The rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world has heightened concerns about the unprecedented level of globalisation that characterises the world we live in – or lived in until 2020 began. In Australia, these concerns tend to focus on our ‘excessive reliance’ on China. Yet China’s vast economic resources and its government’s capacity to stimulate … more
