Issue # 1426      2 September 2009

Editorial

Behind the China bashing

There was an undignified scramble in federal parliament a fortnight ago as all the major players sought to claim the credit for the $50 billion deal to supply PetroChina with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for the next five years. Western Australian MPs even staged a walkout when they took exception to the Prime Minister’s less-than-modest announcement of the impending deal and for glossing over the role of the Barnett Liberal state government. Rudd has been attacked by the Coalition for souring the relationship with China, whose continued economic growth is insulating Australia from the full impact of the current global recession. The truth is that there is plenty of blame to go around for the obvious tensions in the relationship with this crucial trading partner.

Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull cited the recent visit of Uyghur separatist figure Rebiya Kadeer in connection with the chill in relations with China. He added awkwardly that he agreed with the decision to issue a visa but somehow would not have allowed the relationship to suffer. Rudd is sticking to the Howardesque “we will decide who comes to Australia” line. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he had noted Beijing’s displeasure at the visit but that he had no reason to exclude Ms Kadeer from Australia; that the Australian government is not in the business of shutting down the expression of opinion. The leader of the World Uyghur Congress has not broken any laws, according to Australian authorities.

Leaving aside the fiction that the Australian government does not deny visas to persons on the basis of thepolitical and ideological opinions they hold, the Chinese take a very different attitude to the criminality of Rabiya Kadeer. She is regarded as responsible for, among other crimes, inciting and organising the riots that took place in the regional city of Urumqi on July 5. They want her to answer for the loss of innocent life and damage that took place. Her Australian tour was a provocation that Labor and the Coalition both endorsed.

Both “sides” have launched attacks on China over the case of accused spy and Rio Tinto employee Stern Hu, though it should be noted Turnbull is the most out of order in seeking to meddle in the legal processes of another country. The Foreign Minister has accused him of “megaphone diplomacy” on the issue. And, of course, it is not that long since the bid by Chinalco to buy a minority share of Rio Tinto’s Australian operations was scuttled. Fears were whipped up that the state owned aluminium producer would seek to manipulate resource prices to suit the manufacturing industries of “China Inc”.

So what are the reasons for China’s “whipping boy” status? Fear of China is as old as the gold rushes in Australia – it is a regrettable part of our colonial heritage. This has been overlayed with large amounts of anti-Communism since World War II to produce an unreasoning distrust in some powerful quarters. The image of a third world country, an Asian nation that has not been bound and gagged into alliances and economic arrangements as Japan has been, a country finding its industrial feet and finally enjoying the fruits of its own labour is a frightening vision in ruling circles. Though China poses no military threat at all and its economic success is a lifeline for Australia’s own economy, the People’s Republic poses the gravest danger of all – an example to other developing nations to stand up for their own interests.

The behaviour of the Australian government has undoubtedly strained the relationship it has with its counterpart in Beijing. Business commentators have added to the tensions. Some high level meetings have been cancelled and the newspapers in China have responded to the insults directed at their country. If Australian governments, corporations and universities want to continue to benefit from the success of the China, they would be well advised to stop playing to the gallery with China-bashing nonsense.  

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