A Really Brief History of Labor / CCP Cooperation, & What Comes Next
Forget about a bipartisan approach, this was always Labor + CCP vs the rest.
When exactly did formalised CCP / ALP relations begin ? The fact that a supposedly democratic political party, (ALP) would have formal relations with a party of revolutionary violence and dictatorship (CCP) seems to attract little attention from scholars or journalists.
This is passing strange as United Front organisations in China attach great importance to party to party relations1 and publicly report on progress and activities.
What does attract public attention, is the manifestations of this relationship.
Quick and Dirty Chronology:
Whitlam led diplomatic recognition of the PRC.
Whitlam actively campaigned against the appointment of Professor Ryckmans to Sydney University’s Chinese Studies department, on the grounds it would damage relations with China. In other words, he opposed the appointment of an Academic who told the truth, because he wanted young scholars of Chinese studies to be influenced in ways favourable to the CCP’s China story. This event was the canary in the coalmine, signalling the emerging tragedy of CCP control of academic discourse related to China in this country, and political connivance in facilitating it.
Hawke, as Prime Minister could see the post PM business opportunity that China could present him, but it all turned to mush when tanks mushed protesters on June 4, 1989. He recovered from this, and profited handsomely from China’s politically directed socialist capitalism in the years that followed. He never shied away from boosting the dictatorships talking points in public forums.
Keating, not to be outdone by Hawke, had a go at the influence game, and has profited well from it. Even in old age he is keen to promote the interests of the dictatorship at the expense of the Australian nation, in speeches, articles and interviews.2
Rudd, despite understanding more about China than any other leader, flick passed the emerging issues to future governments, leaving the Turnbull government to make the major decisions that led to open conflict with China. He could have written “Silent Invasion” earlier and better than Clive Hamilton, but he kept silent. He could have nipped United Front activity in the bud, but instead, he played the “friend of China” card electorally, and attends United Front events and solicits CCP support. He uses CCP controlled media (WeiBo) to generate support for his public profile, safe in the knowledge that the CCP censors will protect him from criticism.
Bob Carr allowed the daughter of a United Front aligned businessman who runs CCP voice Chinese language news media to work in his office3, and later became selected by another candidate for Governor General of the Chinese in Australia4 to be in charge of his CCP ALP propaganda outfit, the so-called ACRI5. This organisation has shamelessly parroted the CCP line and lazy journalists still treat them like a credible source of China information. A major victory for CCP 话语权 / discourse power, a shameful defeat of Australia.
At some point during the ALP period in office in NSW, Confucius Institutes replaced school Chinese language courses, and literally became embedded in the NSW Government education department.
Sam Dastayari promoted CCP talking points including occupation and militarisation of the sea to the south of China.
Jamie Clements, Ernest Wong clumsily managed funding relations with representatives of the dictatorship, shuffling bags of cash like something out of a comedy movie.
Shaoquett Moselmane boosted his frequent flyer points6 by becoming a sock puppet advocatingthe dictatorships interests in Australia. He is a joke, but jokes can be dangerous if not dealt with.
Jason “Yat Sen” Li brought to Australia a professional propagandist (Zhao Hai) and provided him with a platform to promote unrefined Chinese propaganda messaging, at the very time that the Federal government was working to fight back against the more obvious attacks on Australia’s democracy by Chinese interests.
Despite having a deep understanding of China and Australia, he has consistently backed his race, against this place. Standard operating procedure is to change the topic from Chinese attacks on Australian sovereignty, to spurious and vague accusations of racism (against Chinese by others), as if that was the issue that mattered right now. Then he fans the sparks of resentment lit by propaganda and “education” in China, to gain support from new migrants from China who get their news and views from CCP controlled media, especially WeChat, to turn them against Australia.
Anthony Albanese’s friend Dan Andrews assisted the CCP to undermine Australia’s negotiating position by signing up to the Belt and Road at state level.
Mark McGowan has consistently undermined the Federal government when it attempted to create an Australian united position to negotiate and manage the China relationship.
At some point, books need to be written on most of these characters highlighting their work to undermine Australia.
A Quick and Dirty Chronology gives a free pass to many of these characters due to word limit.
According to the WeChat channel of 澳洲红领君7，Albanese has flipflopped on his support for China, and shortly before the election Albanese said8:
“我不责怪莫里森政府，也从来没有因为目前的情况责怪他，”Albanese 补充道。
"I don't blame Morrison's government, and I have never blamed him for the current situation," Albanese added.
AND NOW THIS:
Albanese’s outrageous lie, that the Liberals refused to communicate with China, signals alignment with the CCP narrative drumbeat9 from Chinese language media, Chinese controlled social media, and even lazy or pro-Labor mainstream media, becoming the “new truth”, - it’s the fault of the Liberals, not the CCP.
14:10 “(Labor) got us out of (China’s) naughty corner”
14:45 “We’ve gone from a government THAT CHOSE to not have a single conversation with China, our major trading partner..…….”
CCP / United Front influence in other political parties including the coalition is significant and worthy of study, but sifting through the actions of key players over the decades suggests the party most under the CCP’s thumb, is Labor, and that they have always seen the CCP as a weapon against the conservatives, and actively courted their assistance.
Albanese is not signalling the end of bipartisanship on China, he is demonstrating that there never was bipartisanship on China, and he has no interest in pursuing it. CCP preferences Labor. It’s not a negotiation between nations, it’s a transaction between parties. You got sold.
So What Happens Next ?
There are approximately 14 plus 1 steps to Labor maintaining its side of the implicit bargain with the CCP. These will be selectively implemented in the life of the current parliament.
Despite China’s investment laws restricting Australian companies from mining and agriculture investment in China, start letting Chinese companies buy assets that have security implications.
Create an increasing number of exceptions to the banning of Huawei and ZTE from the 5G network and future projects, until they become the major suppliers. Don’t lobby or discuss banning Chinese vendors with other countries.
Repeatedly make minor changes to the foreign interference legislation, to water it down. More importantly, simply don’t use it. After all, why would you interfere with the CCP assisting the ALP ? Appoint intelligence agency heads who will “improve the bilateral relationship”. Or as Keating once put it - “you’d clean them out”.
Turn a blind eye to “cooperation and exchanges” that lead to intellectual property theft or CCP influence and interference in Australia’s domestic politics. Boost Confucius Institutes as the primary means of primary, secondary and tertiary education about China in Australia, so that China can ensure only loyalists tell China’s story according to party policy.
Just don’t talk about COVID 19 origins. Ever.
Continue the Albanese governments policy of silence on China’s outrages in Xinjiang, backsliding on the one country two systems agreement in Hong Kong, and menacing with murderous intent of Taiwan.
Systematically reduce patrols in the sea to the south of China. Never mention this in multilateral meetings, or to media.10
Never publicly mention China’s handling of the Covid 19 virus. The world, especially China, wants to move on.
Facilitate Victoria’s rejoining the Belt and Road, set in motion other states to join. Join at a national level after the next election.
Year on year reduce ASPI funding and engage with them only on a token basis. Restore China Matters funding. Support ACRI through attendance and speaking at their events and work to raise the profile of this very helpful CCP / Labor propaganda arm.
Simply do not interfere with the intelligence gathering and influence activities of Chinese journalists. In return they will tell the ALP’s story well and help win elections at all levels of government. Rehabilitate Moselmane and Dastayari in small steps. Managing Uighurs and Tibetans in Australia is China’s business, butt out.
Don’t publicise cyber attacks. If the public don’t know, they won’t care. Many attacks are only to get information, not destroy or disrupt. Chill.
Don’t criticise China, no matter what. Attack opposition MP’s who do, accuse them of racism, Xenophobia, and failing to work in a bipartisan manner to protect the relationship. Accuse THEM of Megaphone diplomacy. It’s starting to work already. Only China gets the megaphone.
Manage the media decisively. Make management and staff changes at ABC and SBS to find people who will facilitate an improved relationship with China, by telling China’s story well. Don’t engage with journalists who don’t tell China’s story well. Reduce government advertising spend to media that don’t “work to improve bilateral relations”.
AND ONE:
AUKUS, especially nuclear subs, is a tough order even if you have a strong will. Over time, hint that it is hard, blame the US, blame the Liberals, eventually, let it slide. Let some criticise it and rebut weakly if at all. Appoint as an Ambassador to the US, someone who is actively against the agreement, let him wreck it behind the scenes.
CHOSE CHINA. Consider it a done deal.
Party to Party Relations (Carr at CPC in Dialogue With World Political Parties High-Level Meeting in Beijing). Xiao Qian also met the leader of the Federal ALP, and described it as a party to party meeting. This is not reflected in ALP descriptions of the meeting.
In 2004 Carr's office hired Chau's daughter Winky as an adviser, while later that year the Premier launched Chau's Sydney Chinese language newspaper, the Australian New Express Daily . Chau is a major United Front figure, and has interposed himself between the CCP regime and successive Australian governments.
Huang Xiang Mo once described himself in English as “Governor General of the Chinese in Australia”. In one of his magazines he described himself as the “Outstanding leader of the Chinese in Australia” “澳洲华裔杰出领导” 。
traveled to China, a lot, with his handlers, presume he got lots of frequent flyer points…
I thought it was 澳洲红领巾 - Australian Red Scarf…. either I missed it or they changed the name and kept the same logo. Now they are 澳洲红领君 - Australian Red Leading Gentlemen ? 🤦🏻♂️ (faceplant emoji).
unfortunately I can find nothing remotely like this in English, search as I might. Do you trust Red Scarf (sorry, Red Leading Gentlemen) ?
由于莫里森政府的倒行逆施，中澳关系遭到了严重破坏 - Sino-Australian relations have been seriously damaged due to the retrograde behaviour of Morrison's government. 今日头条 24 May 2022, just one of a gazillion examples, easily found internet searching in Chinese.
China’s control of the SCS means if we want to buy refined petroleum from Thailand or Singapore, (which we do), they can block us any time they want. It’s an attack on the global commons, not just an invasion of the territory of South East Asian countries.