Australia leads...

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SternAAlbifrons
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Australia leads...

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

No wobbling here

The immediate context of this report is about one Au state, Victoria, signing an 'in principle" agreement to discuss possible BRI projects in that state.
That happened a few years ago but the Fed Gov has now cancelled that agreement as part of its new legislation protecting national sovereignty and security. It has also started cancelling joint research projects in Au universities - and refusing many Chinese investments. and more.
This piece deals with that BRI issue, but also outlines the bigger picture - ie Au has drawn a very clear hard line, and is prepared to pay the price.

(i have reprinted the whole report for those who have burned thru their 5/month free reads of the Sydney Morning Herald.
ps, you can skirt that limit by using Firefox 'private window' or similar, just reopen a new window after every 5 stories.
Best au paper, near all the rest are just Murdoch megaphones)

SMH By Eryk Bagshaw
April 21, 2021 — 8.47pm

Australia leads the world confronting China, for better or worse
There will be those who dismiss the scrapping of Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement as merely the end of a memorandum of understanding – a deal that commits no funds and no projects while offering nothing but trouble for its two major players.

But nothing could be further from the truth. For China, the BRI represents its greatest global project. It’s a multi-trillion dollar investment vehicle through which Beijing projects its influence and prestige throughout the world.
“The East is rising and the West is declining,” China’s President Xi Jinping said in March. The BRI, which sweeps across Asia, the Pacific and into Europe, connecting trade, transport, digital networks and infrastructure, is the embodiment of that ethos.

Australia has already infuriated China by banning Huawei and implementing world-leading foreign interference legislation. On Wednesday it set a global precedent by tearing up an agreement similar to one that China has signed with dozens of other countries.

Australia’s relationship with China was already broken. This decision pushes the repair job out by years, if not decades.

Witness China’s deputy ambassador Wang Xining at the National Press Club on Wednesday three years after the Huawei decision: “Australia was the first to ban Huawei in the domestic telecommunication industry and then Australia even persuaded others to follow suit,” he said.
“By doing so I think Australia connived with the United States in a very unethical, illegal, immoral suppression of Chinese companies.”

Beijing’s wrath over the BRI decision will be sharper and longer. After nearly four months of relative calm in the rollicking Australia-China relationship, the temptation for the Morrison government must have been to let the agreement sit and gather dust.

But this also misstates the fundamental judgment of Australia’s foreign policy leaders. The BRI deal should never have been signed. In doing so, Victoria ventured ignorantly into the waters of sovereignty. Treasurer Tim Pallas subsequently questioned Australia’s foreign policy and Beijing revelled in the disunity.

After the government legislated the ability to tear up the agreement if they wanted to, some in diplomatic circles in Canberra believed it had achieved what it desired. It had reasserted control over rogue state policies and sent a signal to Beijing that no more such deals were to be done.

Canberra could have gone through the New Zealand and European models. These countries told their telecommunications operators that they should not use Huawei, but they did not explicitly ban the Chinese company. They are likely to take a similar tack with many of their approaches to the BRI.

But Australia, which knows the dangers of Chinese Communist Party influence better than most, chose not to take that path. Now, more trade strikes are on the table. Half a dozen industries covering $20 billion in trade have already been hit. Education and yes - even iron ore - could be in the firing line.

Australia is once again a world leader. And its exporters will pay the price.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal ... 57laj.html


ps, i,m not here, just a ghost finishing off with a few final messages
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by truffledog »

After footing the bill (less exports) and diversifying (into whatever) Australia will be a winner as it will be less dependant on the chinese dragon. It wont be easy to replace over 100 Billion US in trade in the short term and many businesses will take a heavy toll. But after the transformation a new Australia will emerge,
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by Clutch Cargo »

Whatever the Aussie government thinks about the CCP trade restrictions, it doesn't matter. Australia is a free enterprise country and many OZ companies have got burnt with the CCP banning their exports whether that be barley, beef, wine, coal and what have you. Those companies will be once bitten twice shy and will come to the conclusion that they are an unreliable trading partner to do business with.. Regardless of the reason: whether political or otherwise and will look for other markets for risk mitigation. Other companies with links there will similarly take note of the risks.

Many companies affected..Whitehaven, A2 milk, Blackmores, Bubs, Treasury wines, et al to name a few.

Of course OZ could be proactive and lead the agenda rather than be reactive to it on this, and say, put an extra duty on iron ore sales to China or even just ban it. But it won't happen..
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

LOL. You have a rather starry eyed view of Australian companies, Clutch.
That capitalist-woke rational response you suggest is actually more like pressuring the Oz government they should not be questioning China about the origins of Covid, about creeping foreign influence in Oz, nor about the militarisation of the South China sea.
It took a really gutsy government reflecting the obvious will of its people to resist a lot of arm twisting by your noble, logical, "risk aware" capitalist corporations.

But good to see you are all in favour of Oz busting out of the globalists Free Trade framework and breaking the whole tariff-free trading system that Au has committed itself to.
National Hari Kari would be a very honourable stand to take.
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by Clutch Cargo »

SternAAlbifrons wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 1:59 am LOL. You have a rather starry eyed view of Australian companies, Clutch.
That capitalist-woke rational response you suggest is actually more like pressuring the Oz government they should not be questioning China about the origins of Covid, about creeping foreign influence in Oz, nor about the militarisation of the South China sea.
It took a really gutsy government reflecting the obvious will of its people to resist a lot of arm twisting by your noble, logical, "risk aware" capitalist corporations.

But good to see you are all in favour of Oz busting out of the globalists Free Trade framework and breaking the whole tariff-free trading system that Au has committed itself to.
National Hari Kari would be a very honourable stand to take.
I didn't mean to imply the OZ government should do nothing and just leave it to the corporations to deal with it. Reading my post again, I can see it came across that way..sorry.

Personally, I support the govt taking the lead on a lot of issues and standing up to the PRC who use trade as a weapon.

I was merely saying that companies will naturally build other trading partners if certain ones become toxic and their products are not accepted...regardless of whether the govt directly intervenes or not. Stating the obvious I guess but that is the nature of business.

If the govt does decide to intervene into what and who OZ can trade with...that will be a huge precedent.. and hence I don't believe it will happen. They will try to reach other trade agreements as they've done with India. Re breaking free trade frameworks and systems, well, wasn't it the PRC that started that when they banned our products? On account they're not happy with OZ coz they perceive we are interfering on issues of human rights, Ughurs, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Sth China sea et al.
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by Phnom Poon »

I agree, the govt should be facilitating trade with other partners
china's tariffs and suspensions will ultimately hurt themselves most, as they need food and raw materials
but the govt needs to restrict or halt chinese inward investment in these areas
and perhaps harass existing investments

.

monstra mihi bona!
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by violet »

Couldn’t find the other thread.


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.abc. ... /100096418

“ Powerful national security boss declares the 'drums of war' are beating in chilling warning that calls for Australia to prepare for combat with China to protect 'our precious liberty'”

China will take that as a provocation
Despite what angsta states, it’s clear from reading through his posts that angsta supports the free FreePalestine movement.
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

Australia's primary aim is to ensure peace in the region, and the international rule of law. That is the current model and they are working very hard towards those aims - towards both China and 'others'.
As is most of Asia.

But they must be fully and sincerely prepared to back that up all the way - and crucially, to be seen and understood to hold that resolve.
A big part of the problem is that the West has been so empty in it's resolve in recent decades, about everything. (or dumb as fuck when they do get tough) It would be the full open invitation to a fully realised Chinasia if we were are seen to be wobbly yet again on this one.
They seem to be playing it very well to date.

NB, Outsiders, dont fuck it up this time by being blind arrogant and totally tone-deaf about every other country that actually lives in region.
What is needed, and the only thing that will work, is a united free world front here. Not superheroes.
And it is happening, things have moved on from the colonial days of our youth.
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by Nobody »

Great move Australia, but unfortunately China still has the country under its thumb until something is done about the biggest export and money earner Iron Ore We all know that China will eventually use this as another punishment by buying iron ore from other sources so why is Australia not building its own steel mills now. If your thinking that costs, as in wages are too high to produce steel in Australia, your not thinking about a modern fully automated steel mill run by robots as is done in a car manufacturing factory.
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Re: Australia leads...

Post by Pseudonomdeplume »

NZ, while they are small (albeit, batting above their weight), they are part of the 5 Eyes, and the world listens to them, but I can't see them going out of their way to back Oz. Their relationship isn't too clever currently. I doubt Australia will lose too much sleep. The US are trying to clean up broken China in the house after Trump "lost the security deposit". Oz have plenty of friends, but every country has their own internal problems to focus on. India is one of the best countries for Oz to target, IMO. India’s economic and demographic statistics are attractive. India has a million young people entering its working age population every month; an economy the same size as China’s was a decade ago; and it was on track to be the most populated country in a matter of years. COVID will change a few figures.
At the beginning of this month, India confirmed six new $1 billion-plus, unicorn tech companies, in 4 days.
Australia has invested heavily in building strong political and economic relations in Delhi, but Oz will have to work hard to sell the asymmetry of 26 million vs 1.3 billion, and India have never been interested in FTAs. India has been moving fast and playing an increasingly important role in global and international affairs. IMO.
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