Since the Second world war, when Australians fought in close cooperation with American forces, a state the size of a continent was an important strategic partner of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, from Korea to Vietnam and beyond, in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Despite decades of close relations between the two English giants, China’s economic influence and “soft power” combined with the shift of political relations in Australia have given Beijing the leverage it seeks to use.
Both China and the United States is currently intensified in the region. China has established bases and warships in the disputed South China sea, which America responded with a change of strategy in 2013 and turned in the direction of Asia. And Australia needs to take a stand.
A third of foreign trade of Australia is with China, and Australian politicians, with no legal barriers in accepting donations from anyone, receive money from Chinese organizations and individuals associated with the leadership of the Communist party of China, according to reports.
At the same time, the Australian media warned, the think tanks, the media and the schools do not perceive China in a pink light. According to a recent survey research Center of the United States, Australians are suspicious of the role of both the United States and China in helping or harming Asia.
In a recent article in the Australian Business Review shows the contrast between the recent expansion of the military budget Canberra (13-e a place in the world, about $22 billion) and the development of cooperation with Asian countries that share the discomfort due to territorial claims of China and public concern about domestic and economic issues.
“There is a large and growing gap between government policy and popular sentiment,” the article says.
In a survey conducted by the Center for studies in the USA, many respondents prefer closer relations with China than with the United States.
However, the Business Review writes: “the Public remains largely ambivalent, not wanting to choose between ally and economic benefactor.”
Carrots and sticks from Beijing
While the Australians and their officials have mixed feelings and have not decided on the priorities, the Chinese authorities are quietly but actively promoting its business interests, military ambitions and propaganda.
From 2013 to 2015, the Chinese company and the Association gave 5.5 million Australian dollars (about $4.1 million) in the form of sponsorship of Australian politicians, as reported by ABC News Australia.
According to article of 30 August in the Sydney Morning Herald, when Senator Dan Dastyari of the social-democratic labour party exceeded the state-funded travel and daily expenses in China last year, the overrun was paid by a private Chinese Institute in Sydney, led by Chinese party official Zhu Minister. This is just one of the many cases of sponsorship received Dastyari from China, which he visited several times.
“Chinese interests subsidize the work of the Australian Parliament,” wrote the Sydney Morning Herald.
Zhu is also a senior Advisor to the Confucius Institute in Sydney, one of the hundreds opened by the Chinese authorities in colleges and schools around the world. According to critics, these institutions under the guise of learning the Chinese language at competitive prices promote propaganda materials of the Communist party and impede the activities of Chinese dissidents, minorities, and Taiwanese.
In may, China Daily in English made a deal with Fairfax and other major Australian Newspapers to Appendix 8-page tabs in their publication.
The presence of the media in the Chinese language in Australia shows that China plays an important role. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 95 percent of Australia’s Newspapers are under the control of Beijing, at least partially.
Thanks to the combination of economic sponsorship and promotion in Australian society and politics, Beijing has real levers of influence on the geopolitics of Canberra, if it comes to blows in Asian disputes.
In an interview with the Epoch Times, a source close to American intelligence, said behind the scenes Beijing is using threats to set the tone for its relations with Australia: “You need to cooperate with China. We are so close. If something happens, the US will not be able to come and rescue you.”
In July of this year, tensions have risen in the South China sea after the international court of the Hague rejected China’s claim to most of the area. When the Australian government announced its support for the court’s decision, the Chinese Pro-kommunisticheski tabloid Global Times, the English language called Australia “a unique country with an inglorious history.”
In a caustic editorial, under the heading”Paper cat” Australia will get a lesson” States that “Australia has signed a free trade agreement with China, its largest trading partner, and its intervention in the conflict in the South China sea is puzzling. Australia is not even a “paper tiger”, it’s just a “paper cat” at best. At a time when her former country-the caretaker UK is developing its relationship with China, and almost all of Europe is neutral, Australia has suddenly come up and harm the interests of China. If Australia was going to invade the waters of the South China sea, it will be an ideal target for China to prevent and strike”.
These fighting comments contrast with statements last year, former Chinese Ambassador MA Jaouen, who told The Australian that “China is not a strategic threat to Australia, but a comprehensive strategic partner. We are very happy that there is a huge common interests between our countries.”
Determining the direction
Regardless of the political color of the stripes and inner inclinations, Australian leaders support strong regional communication capabilities of the country.
Andrew Shearer, national security adviser to the previous Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, warned that the militarization of China in the South China sea threatens to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.
This, in addition to “very unpredictable and equipped with nuclear weapons to the dictator of North Korea, has made things “much more difficult” for Australia and its us ally, said Shearer at the presentation in Washington in April of this year, according to the Australian Financial Review.
In contrast prophetischen ideas about what Australia needs to loosen its military ties with America to clear the way for the economic boom of China,” as stated in the review, Shearer encouraged to expand military cooperation with the United States.
Australia has signed an agreement with France in April on the purchase of submarines — an unexpected event in light of the expected negotiations about buying Japanese Soryu class submarines.
After the Second world war, Japan began to export weapons only in 2014, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his tough stance against the provocations of China on the Islands off of Okinawa, changed the pacifist Constitution of the country.
At the same time, there are indications that, despite the Chinese money to Australian business and society, bribery cannot determine everything.
In late August, Reuters reported that China’s Ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye met with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and asked him to “avoiding protectionism”. The meeting took place a week after two Chinese companies banned the purchase of shares in large local energy system. The previous attempt to buy the company for the breeding of cattle was also rejected.
The Chairman of Chinese real-estate on 29 August called on the Chinese Australians to make better use of their wealth to influence local politicians.
“The Australian Chinese community has no experience in using political donations to satisfy political needs,” says Juan, Sangmo, head of the group Yuhu and donated over a million dollars for Australian politicians. His words were quoted in an editorial in the Global Times.
While Huang argued that it is unfair to associate Chinese money with Chinese regime, he gave $1.8 million to create the Institute of Australian-Chinese relations at the University of technology Sydney, reports the Australian Financial Review. This Institute offers “a positive and optimistic Outlook on relations between Australia and China and has replaced the previous Chinese research Department, which was more critical of Beijing.
