Wolf warrior turns bunny boiler as Australia moves on

Australia’s economic integration with China developed in two distinct phases. The first was from 2003 to 2011 as iron ore coal exports boomed. The second was from 2011 and included international students, tourism, foodstuffs and investment.

The second phase came with corruption in various parliaments, the debasement of university ethics, the curtailment of free speech and the bullying of the Chinese diaspora.

The two phases ran concurrently with two phases in Chines politics. From 2003 until 2011, China liberalised its economy and politics. After 2011, Xi Jinping hurtled backward into despotism.

So, just as the influence of Chinese investment and peoples grew in Australia, its politics diverged radically from the Australian system of liberal democracy. This schism was always going to break the economic relationship eventually and it did so in 2017 with the Dastayari Affair.

That is why the Chinese embassy last year released its list of 14 conditions for a good relationship. They are all about changing the structure of the Australian political economy so that it fits within China’s autocratic state:

China’s 14 grievances against Australia

Yesterday the embassy was at it again, this time threatening anybody that stands up to…well..whatever it says:

In China, we have a saying that friendship would not be severed by mountains or seas. George Washington said that the true friendship is slow growing plant. I believe our friendship would not be diluted, would not be separated by distance or time. If you are in a difficult situation to be a China’s friend, don’t worry, your Chinese friends will stand together with you, your friends in China will always be with you. History will prove that it is wise and visionary to be China’s friends, and your children and grandchildren would be proud of you to be China’s friends and they will benefit from the relationship with China. Your Chinese friends and their children will also be proud and benefit from your friendship. For a better future and for the next generation, most people choose to make friends, but some people in Australia choose to make enemies to sustain a living. Those who deliberately vilify China and sabotage the friendship between our two countries and do damage to our long-term friendship and benefits out of their sectoral or selfish interest will be casted aside in history. Their children will be ashamed of mentioning their names in the history.

Sadly for the embassy, the “panda-huggers” at the ACBC dinner represent just 6% of the population. The other 94% of Australians can’t divorce China fast enough:

And why not? With bullies like the embassy and other wolf warriors insulting and threatening us every second day. With the virus having ruined lifestyles and wealth. With economic coercion and interference attacking our most fundamental values. With corruption left, right and centre. So on and so forth. Why would the 94% of Australians not on the CCP payroll ever be its friend?

Australians are happy to divorce the CCP. We’re an enlightenment society, well advanced from the CCP’s pre-modern, feudal politics.

We’ve moved on. There are democracies all over the world that embrace freedom and liberalism the same way that we do and they want to be friends without enforcing a retrograde worldview. India and many other growth markets beckon. They are hungry for our goods and services too.

94% of Australians’ advice to China these days is to “get over it”.