Can China export its own authoritarian model?

Are Western leaders right to fear China’s attempts to spread its authoritarian model of government around the world, just as it has exported its manufactured goods?

We must do more than wave the flag in the South China Sea

All hopes of China becoming a ‘responsible stakeholder’ now dead and that nation’s capacity to constrain our maritime freedom of movement will only grow larger. Without action, we will soon find ourselves strategically reliant on the benevolence of an expansionist dictatorship.

Balancing the rise of China

It’s clear that China wants to become the predominant power in Asia. Why should that be a concern for Australia? The answer goes to the heart of the intersection of our interests and values in foreign policy.

It’s time for Canberra to stop kowtowing to Beijing

Managing relations with China is the most challenging foreign and security policy problem facing Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his re-elected government. While appeasement is always the easy option, a strong stance is required to protect the region and our liberties.

Australia needs a clear and consistent China policy

Our government should take a leaf out of China’s book by strongly promoting our national interests, speaking plainly in defence of our core values, and explaining our strategic priorities to the domestic public.

Thirty years after Tiananmen it’s time to face facts and join forces

Thirty years after Tiananmen we need to spend less time trying to fix China and more time shoring up our ability to take care of ourselves, our societies and all of our citizens.

Tiananmen Square, 3–4 June 1989

The Chinese Communist Party goes to extraordinary lengths to suppress discussion of the brutal student massacre which crushed pro-democracy protests 30 years ago, but memories of the tragedy remain as intense as ever.

Standing up to bullies in the South China Sea

Public diplomacy around Australia’s relationship with the Chinese state in general, and the antics of its military in the South China Sea in particular, are becoming a major issue for Canberra.

Australian Navy helicopters hit with Chinese lasers

Australian ships participating in a recent exercise were the subject of close attention by shadowing Chinese assets, ranging from demands for course information from Chinese navy ships to lasers aimed from “fishing vessels”.

Australia should stop bolstering China’s military

A clear statement that Australia will not increase the war fighting capability of the Chinese military would be common sense and offer a guiding principle for future decision-making.

Assessing China’s soft power in the Pacific

The fragility of Australian soft power in the Pacific has less to do with Chinese influence than a perception that Canberra has drifted away from the regional consensus on climate change, development priorities and economic relations.

Delving deeper after the ABC’s China investigations

The recent ABC documentary exposing China’s political interference in Australian affairs did little to question the effectiveness of this country’s foreign intervention laws.