Junket Jen is back, or rather, gone:
…no speech at Boao has been more keenly anticipated than the opening address by Xi Jinping in the wake of US trade tensions, the radical consolidation of Xi’s power and regular displays of China’s assertiveness in foreign policy.
…Without the dubious benefits of presidential tweets to clarify the thinking of China’s supreme leader, Xi’s address will provide the first real public clue of his approach to countering that of his “friend”, Trump.
…With a few exceptions, most of the titles of attending government leaders acclaimed are preceded by the description “former”. And despite China’s economic importance to Australia and the political tensions recently exacerbated by the argument over foreign political donations and influence, the Turnbull government has – unusually – not sent a minister or even a humble backbencher. Instead only a contingent of Australian business leaders is making the trip, along with Australia’s ambassador to China, Jan Adams.
Jennifer Hewett is attending the Boao Forum as a guest of Fortescue Metals Group.
There is nothing especially egregious in the piece. But that may just be the point. Perhaps there should be. Andrew Forrest is on record demanding more kowtowing, from a speech last month:
Much of the current Australian debate fuels distrust, paranoia and a loss of respect.
This has to stop.
We have listened too much to immature alarmists and not enough to each other. We have neglected the nourishment of our greatest friendship — China and Australia must nourish that friendship.
I ask Australians to stand with me and respect and celebrate the Chinese community’s deep roots in Australia, and the vital role China has played in the strength and cultural richness of Australia.
Our shared experiences, through some of the worst horrors in history, are far more meaningful than differences in tradition or our political systems.
These differences, which are often used to imply some ‘new challenge’ to Australia, have existed for decades.
They existed while we carved out our current strong relationship. They existed when we fought alongside one another. And they existed when we signed globally important trade deals. We need to stop only focusing on what separates us.
China has been exposed as undertaking materials level of soft power influence in Australia and we’re not supposed to have a full-throated debate about it?
It was perhaps relatively harmless in the past when Junket Jen shot around the planet to write nice stories mostly about miners. But given today’s increasingly challenging national interest debates around China, it’s time the AFR funded these trips by itself or canned them altogether.
