In mid-2018, the US declared the China American Cold War a go. It comprised a series of ratcheting trade tariffs by the Trump Administration directed at China. these were directed largely at shifting global manufacturing supply chains, especially in technology, away from China. The measures were directed specifically at China’s stated aim of dominating global technology, artificial intelligence and robotics by 2025.
Other dimensions of the growing Great Power conflict included freedom of navigation through the South China Sea where China had constructed series of far-flung militarised atolls that armed the distant approaches to its mainland and effectively claimed that ocean as sovereign Chinese.
The Cold War was also concentrated around Chinese ‘sharp power’ which had made significant inroads in influencing policy outcomes within the US alliance network in and around the Asia Pacific via bribes, debt diplomacy and corruption of media.
The China American Cold War showed all of the characteristics of an historic, ideological struggle between liberal democracy and statist growth that had defined the 20th century battle between the US and the Soviet Union.
Via Herald Sun: Federal police officers are raiding the home of News Corp Australia journalist Annika Smethurst over a story about a secret government plan to spy on Australians. …“The matter relates to an investigation into the alleged unauthorised disclosure of national security information that was referred to the AFP. “Police will allege the unauthorised
Via Martin Wolf at the FT: Across-the-board rivalry with China is becoming an organising principle of US economic, foreign and security policies. …A framing of relations with China as one of zero-sum conflict is emerging. Recent remarks by Kiron Skinner, the US state department’s policy planning director (a job once held by cold war strategist
Just in case you’re tempted to take that China bribe. Meanwhile, at News: The arrival of three Chinese warships into Sydney Harbour yesterday morning came as a huge surprise to most Australians. Their visit was kept so quiet that even the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian wasn’t aware Sydney’s Garden Island would be playing host to
Via Bloomie comes the trade war for teets: A2 Milk Co. led declines among infant-formula providers in Australia and New Zealand after China unveiled a plan to boost local output and reduce reliance on imports. China aims to exceed 60% self-sufficiency for baby formula and improve the quality of domestic brands in its $27 billion
For what it is worth given how wrong it has been on everything surrounding the US economy: New tariffs on all imports from China, some additional non-tariff restrictions, and no deal until late 2019….While there is still a clear possibility that a meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi at the G20 summit on June 28-29
Via Domain: The Australian government and senior intelligence officials have urged Britain to ban Chinese technology giant Huawei from a role in building new ultra-fast mobile networks, arguing the western alliance of intelligence-sharing partners should have a consistent position. Multiple well-placed sources confirmed Australian officials have taken action on several fronts to impress on their
And they are not nice. Recall the evolving Communist Party of China (CPC) propaganda push outlined by Simon Rabinovitch last week: Add this from the foghorn: China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and will fight one if necessary. The Chinese government has always adhered to this principle
He’s going off. Via the FT: Donald Trump will threaten to limit intelligence sharing with Britain if the UK government allows Huawei to build part of the country’s 5G mobile network, a message he plans to deliver in person during his visit to London next week. …One White House official said Huawei would “obviously be
Sitting down? Via Interest.con.nz: A few years ago, as part of a Western delegation to China, I met President Xi Jinping in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. When addressing us, Xi argued that China’s rise would be peaceful, and that other countries – namely, the United States – need not worry about the “Thucydides
Via the ABC: Chinese maritime militia vessels are believed responsible for a series of laser attacks on Australian Navy pilots during a recent voyage through the hotly contested South China Sea. Defence sources have confirmed helicopters were targeted during night flights, forcing the pilots to temporarily return to their ship for medical check-ups. The incidents
Via the CPC foghorn, Global Times: The Chinese people are so confused: What on earth does the US want with China? Does it want fair trade or does the US refuse to accept China’s development and seek to break the Chinese economy as its ultimate goal? This is a major issue. For the sake of
Business doyen, Alan Kohler, probed the question yesterday: …the Australian Huawei ban was tentative, a bit embarrassed, with Cabinet forced into it by the spooks in the Signals Directorate, but their hearts weren’t in it. And why would they be? China is our main trading partner, and we’re banning their national champion? In stark contrast, the
Yes he is, via The Australian comes the Magellan maestro: “I actually think Trump isn’t right about a lot, but he is right about the core issue that they appear to be doing it on unfair terms. “They’ve been stealing intellectual property, they’ve been requiring foreign companies who want to participate in their massive market
Via Michael Every at Rabobank: It’s hard to keep up with all the escalation. Yesterday morning Asian time the worry was that the US was about to turn its fire on Chinese surveillance-camera maker Hikvision, which would obviously have proved damaging to that PLA-linked firm. Yesterday evening the US instead shifted its attention to the UK
It is not going well. As the White House intensifies its trade targets, its intellectual outrider, Steve Bannon is off the hook and running riot, as SCMP: Driving Huawei out of the United States and Europe is “10 times more important” than a trade deal with China, according to former White House chief strategist Steve
Here is the untold story of how Australia saved ANZUS, via Reuters: In early 2018, in a complex of low-rise buildings in the Australian capital, a team of government hackers was engaging in a destructive digital war game. The operatives – agents of the Australian Signals Directorate, the nation’s top-secret eavesdropping agency – had been
Via Asia Times comes Grant Newsham: “Flagpole sitting” was a fad in 1920’s America in which people competed to see who could stay precariously perched longest, with some striking a balance for days or even weeks. When it comes to Australia’s dual relations with the United States and China, one sometimes wonders if the nation
I do believe that Steve Bannon has called it early and right and there is no turning back for the US. Indeed, via the AFR, it is working: More than 40 per cent of American companies in China are looking to relocate following an escalation of the tariff war between Washington and Beijing, according to a
Via Bloomie: President Xi Jinping’s visit to a rare earths facility fueled speculation that the strategic materials could be weaponized in China’s tit-for-tat with the U.S. on trade. Shares in JL MAG Rare-Earth Co. surged by their daily limit Monday after state news agency Xinhua said the Chinese president had stopped by the company in
Basically because the world is full of group thinkers like Jason Murphy at Crikey: The Australian dollar has made a significant move, falling below 70 US cents. This is unusual. As the chart below shows, the Aussie dollar has spent some time below 70 US cents in the past, but much more time above that
Via the SCMP: When a Sydney council chose Chinese-language newspaper Vision China Times to sponsor its Lunar New Year celebrations last year, the Chinese consulate in the city warned the inclusion of the “anti-China” newspaper would harm China-Australia relations. Correspondence seen by Australian media outlets, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, showed a political affairs official had
If you want a demonstration of just how pathetic, hypocritical, empty, corrupt and dangerous Australian leadership has become, look no further than this, via Domain: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made a last-minute pitch to Chinese voters, swooping into Sydney’s Chinatown in a bid to shore up support for three candidates whose futures could hinge
The AFR puts brave face on for China today: China has urged its citizens not to panic as its trade war with the United States escalates, declaring the world’s second-biggest economy can withstand a battle and that it is not afraid to “fight back”. In a notable shift from its earlier, softer stance towards Donald
Must listen here. I obviously side with Clive Hamilton in this debate. For me the key point is that Hugh White is no economist. Indeed, in relying upon Australian Treasury forecasts for Chinese growth ten years hence, he is taking the word of muppets demonstrably unable to get their own economy right, let alone the black
I know it’s hard for them to let go with their history of Gough Whitlam’s leadership and all but it’s time the ALP gave up on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). There are a few very simple reasons why. First, the US has done so. It started with the Obama Administration’s “pivot to Asia” which was
Very important stuff from Clive Hamilton today: Understanding China’s Threat to Australia’s National Security As long at the Communist Party rules China it will pose a persistent and serious threat to Australia’s national security. Over the last two years we have made considerable progress in setting up defences against Beijing’s subversion and covert influence. But
Via the AFR: A spokesperson for US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday (AEST) that the use of Chinese telecommunications equipment in 5G networks could leave sensitive data open to Chinese government access. “The United States is very concerned about that – not only for American national security, but for the security of
It’s just not an easy question to answer. Steve Bannon shows why: Getting tough with China to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States was the linchpin of President Trump’s electoral march through the Rust Belt during his 2016 victory. Today, the goal of the radical cadre running China — the Chinese Communist Party
DXY fell overnight as EUR firmed but CNY fell: AUD/USD was heavily bid again back to 0.70 cents though its chart is still very bearish: It was weaker versus EMs stocks: Gold lifted modestly: Oil jumped: Metals were stable: Miners rose: EM stocks were hammered via Shanghai: Junk was OK: Treasuries were bid: Bunds too:
Via the Saturday Paper comes Wanning Sun, professor of media studies at University of Technology Sydney: …It is still too early to tell whether a strong WeChat presence will translate into votes for Labor. Dr Chaoguang Chen, the president of the newly established Chinese Australian Multicultural Association, says these short live sessions are “largely symbolic” but
