China Won. Reset is Defeat
In 2017, An Australian PM said Australia had stood up. In 2022, an Australian PM was kicked off WeChat. There is much more to be done. Who's got the stomach for it ?
In 2017, An Australian PM said Australia had stood up. In 2022, an Australian PM was kicked off WeChat. There is much more to be done. Who's got the stomach for it ?
We Are Under Attack:
The Geopolitical Monitor has a good brief summary of events in the decline of the Australia China relationship. It gives the impression that passing the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme and banning Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE from participating in building Australia’s 5G networks, led to Chinese retaliation.
The legislation was our retaliation against China’s political and influence work.
The biggest attacks came after the April 2020 proposal for an investigation into the origin of Covid 19.
China’s handling of Covid 19 is seen by the Party as a test of it’s (performance) legitimacy. Calling for an inquiry was an effective counter attack by Australia and enraged the Chinese authorities into further showing their true colours. It may have been the trigger for measures already planned.
In addition to ongoing cyber attacks and patient United Front work, China enacted grossly disproportionate trade sanctions, and in a moment of high comedy, issued a list of 14 demands that require servile deference as a precondition for simply talking.
In August 2021 Malcolm Turnbull remarked that Chinas campaign has “completely backfired.” This is wrong.
They won.
Defensive Actions - Reforms Implemented:
The Turnbull then Morrison Governments implemented legislation and decisions focused on foreign interference, including but not limited to the following:
2018:
The National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018.
The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 established a registration scheme for acting on behalf of foreign entities;
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Act 2018 restricts political donations by foreign entities.
Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE banned from participating in the rollout of Australia’s 5G network.
2020:
Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020, gives the federal government power to invalidate arrangements made by state and territory governments or universities.
Victorian Government BRI agreement with China’s National Development and Reform Commission revoked.
Foreign Investment Reform (Protecting Australia’s National Security) Act 2020 investments approval for ‘national security business or national security land’ subject to a zero-dollar monetary threshold.
Australia’s Next Move:
We need to make and implement a strategic decision:
RETREAT BY RESET ? Allow reform fatigue and fear of further attacks leading to Retreat by Reset
OR
AUSTRALIA GENUINELY STANDS UP. Genuine zhan qi lai (Turnbull’s 澳大利亚人民站起来 - “Australian People Stand Up”）Now is not the time to lie flat （躺平).
Various voices from politics, academia, media and business call for a "reset of the relationship”, and comb the tea leaves of Chinese public statements and meetings for hints of a reset - that apparently is up to Australia to facilitate, in line with the message pushed by Ambassador Xiao Qian and Chinese media.
Australia should be proud that we stand firm against China’s bullying. This should be something that unites us all in common cause, defending what should be shared values - sovereignty, freedom, democracy.
China Has Won:
The reform process has stalled. The bullying has worked. There is no apparent stomach to continue the next phase of implementing needed measures to recover, enhance and strengthen our nations sovereignty.
The general public do not rate it as an issue compared to climate change or interest rates.
But much remains to be done. Over time, expect a roll-back of what has been achieved, and the continued undermining of our sovereignty.
What Then, ….Is To Be Done ?
An exhaustive and detailed list of political actions is beyond the scope of a short blog, but the following are the tip of the iceberg.
Media:
Chinese party-government control of Chinese language media in Australia is almost total. This may currently only influence 3 to 4 % of Australian voters1, but it poisons relations between them and the rest of the population, and can swing election victory in key electorates.
Tik-Tok is growing as a YouTube competitor, which gives the CCP growing power over much more public opinion outside the Chinese language audience. How much of the Australian media should a malevolent foreign extremist organisation (CCP) control ? 6% ? 8 % 12 % ?
In 2022 WeChat censored an Australian PM (Scott Morrison) and later kicked him off the platform.
We are a country that allows the CCP to censor our nations leader.
We are a country that allows the CCP to censor our nations leader.
We are a country that allows the CCP to censor our nations leader.
I suggest we change this policy.
This should be a no brainer.
Deciding exactly what to do is complicated, but failing to retaliate accepts a defeat of historical significance.
Policy Suggestion:
Give management of Chinese media organisations operating in Australia (radio, newspaper, social media) 90 days to explain how they will protect privacy and manage what is visible and shareable in Australia in a way consistent with free speech and according to our laws.
Let them censor and manage public opinion in China. That is beyond our remit.
For users in Australia, if a system cannot be developed that satisfies the principles of free speech without CCP 新闻舆论管理 （public opinion management) then access to the service must be blocked.
Education:
Close Down Confucius Institutes:
Around the world these are being closed down. We should have been leading this charge. We need to study China and encourage young people to be aware of its history, culture and language. It is of fundamental importance that the CCP have no influence at all on this process and absolutely no control or influence over the narrative.
A realistic and truthful understanding of the CCP and its history should be sufficient for cultivating a deeply rooted and well informed hatred of the CCP in our nations young people.
An open society, by definition of what it is, must never push a political narrative through the education system, but access to the facts will allow most people the chance to come to obvious conclusions. 讲真中国故事 Tell China’s true story.
Embassy or Consular Staff Prohibited From Teaching:
Chinese current and former diplomatic staff should be prohibited from working in the Australian education sector as their goal is influence of Australian thinking and spreading of false narratives.
Criminalise and Enforce Reporting or Intimidation:
Universities need to have mechanisms to catch, punish and make an example of those seeking to report or intimidate students or staff on campus to Chinese authorities. These should be referred to police and prosecution should be initiated. This process has tentatively begun.
CSSA and Related Chinese Students Organisations:
Chinese students and scholars association to be permitted on campus only if it holds supervised elections for office bearers, permits membership by students from Hong Kong and Taiwan and notifies the university authorities of its activities that include consular involvement.
United Front Activity:
United Front related organisations should identify as such and work with with DFAT to work for Australia’s interests in dealing with China.
One example of one way this might work is as follows:
The Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), provides feedback to the CCP in meetings and events and includes Chinese from outside China.
Australian citizens (eg famous Australian actor Jacky Chan) selected to attend the CPPCC should be required to do the following:
Advise DFAT in advance of attending a CPPCC meeting.
Meet DFAT and discuss how they will promote Australia’s interests at the CPPCC, and how this will be documented.
Meet DFAT within a week after the events and discuss in detail everything they learned and how successfully they represented Australia’s interests.
Failure to do any of these three should constitute an offence of treason with significant fines and jail time.
Former Diplomats and Politicians Monetising 关系 (Their Standing and Contacts):
Promulgate legislation to limit former diplomats to a dictatorship or former politicians working or consulting for firms that are controlled by a national dictatorship or it’s proxies. This restriction should be for an extended time period after cessation of their employment by the Australian nation.
When working for Australian companies, such positions to be subject to permission being granted by an agency controlled by DFAT. This requirement should last for up to a decade. Behaviour should be monitored and permission revoked in event that they act against the national interest.
Former diplomats to observe the same rules on engaging with news media as if they were still employed by DFAT for a period of five years after ceasing employment. This is to reduce the incidence of them being used by hostile powers to undermine Australian solidarity and effect influence efforts.
These proposals are just a start. Combating Chinese interference AND INFLUENCE will always be an ongoing process. As the CCP is an explicitly anti-democratic organisation, the normal acceptance of influence activity where transparent as acceptable does not apply.
Lobbying for a “Reset” is wrong. We need to continue to roll out measures to achieve the goal of, to paraphrase Deng Xiao Ping on territory : “not one fingernail not one toenail” of CCP influence or interference in this country.
Some will fear that China will continue to attack us if we don’t submit.
We get better at preventing cyber attacks.
We have found new markets for commodities.
We had too many Chinese students anyway.
Short of conventional war, it’s hard to see how else China can hurt us. We have been attacked and prevailed. Use resistance to Chinese bullying as a means to unite the nation - not an original idea!
We need to summon up our strength, and continue to fight.
F*%K the “Reset”.
Guesstimate based on 5% of Australian citizens being Chinese and an assumption that not all of them rely on Chinese language media for their news and information - hence 3-4%.