So much complete rubbish in the iMSM today about Australia/China relations. Peter Hartcher was one of the few that stood up early with MB against the coercion so let’s give him the word:
After all the rants and insults, the political freeze and the trade bans, the president of China brought his intimidation campaign of Australia to a politely meek end.
…Remember how the AUKUS security agreement was “destabilising” and a reckless act of nuclear proliferation, according to Beijing? Xi made no mention of it, according to Anthony Albanese.
And the bans on more than $20 billion worth of Australian products, a blatant act of economic coercion? Some have been quietly relaxed over the months as China discovered that it needed Australian coal and wheat to warm and feed its people more than it wanted to hurt Australia.
He noted that it “struck me that both of us talked about how we have highly complementary economies”. We also discovered that Australia’s economy was better able to find alternative export markets than China’s was to find alternative import sources.
Australia conceded nothing. “We have had our differences and Australia won’t resile from our interests or our values,” as Albanese said directly to Xi at the outset of their meeting.
…It’s too much to expect Xi to be embarrassed. But the Australian apologists for China, who hysterically warned of economic armageddon unless Canberra surrendered, should be ashamed.
Damn right they should. But they won’t. They’ll now be back with bells on.
And that is where Peter Hartcher is wrong. Australia under Albo’s cowards has conceded something very important. Perhaps the most important concession of all.
The normatives that govern people-to-people links will now thaw to greater engagement. This, as the tyrant has been anointed and the structural schism between Australian and Chinese political economies has deepened.
Albo’s cowards have given back Beijing’s greatest policy gift to Australia. Suspicion of itself. It’s no wonder given Albo’s weak-kneed treason during the 14 conditions to end democracy crisis.
This “capitulation” by Beijing is no such thing. It is a crafted recognition of overreach to be replaced by the old normal of buying Australia via the “silent invasion” that has begun at the top with the recapture of Anthony Albanese.
There is nothing to celebrate here.
