Source: Global Times
The New York Times article on September 27, the original title: Australia singled out China, did it do the right thing? Australia, which announced a few years ago that it would "stand up" against China, is now struggling with the political and economic consequences of a sharp shift in policy and tone. It was this shift that fueled Canberra's relations with Beijing into its coldest state in decades. Allies praised Australia for showing how small countries can redefine their relationship with China. But growing critics are warning that Australia risks losing strategic focus in the heat of the boycott of China. In order to counter China's influence, Australia has formulated a new "one-size-fits-all" bill. This puts Australia's growing Ethnic Chinese in the shadow of suspicion. Seemingly benign foreign exchanges (not only with China) have also been affected.
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Australian farmers and winery owners wonder if or when China will lift its ban on its products. Chinese companies' investment proposals in industries such as dairy farms have been halted by the Australian government, often without explanation. Even scientific collaborations on climate change have been canceled. Andrew Chab, an Australian researcher at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, said other countries need to learn a series of cautionary lessons from Australia, particularly unnecessary alarmism — which in turn has fueled excessive national security legislation.
China has become more sensitive and punitive, never backing down when challenged and hitting Australia through sanctions and a freeze on high-level talks. So far, Australia has largely withstood the economic blow. But some former Australian officials believe that the loss of market share in China will hurt even more over time. Moreover, the Australian government feels it dares to take the lead against Beijing's "bullying," a mentality that hinders a healthy debate about how to handle relations with middle-aged countries like Australia. Australia's reluctance to publicly elaborate on how to deal with China, its largest trading partner, has added to the uncertainty.
Former diplomat Richard Maud said Australia was increasingly concerned that U.S. influence in the region was weakening compared to China. But this point is not loudly discussed in Australia. Australian officials know that China may respond harshly to [Australia's] hard-line policies, but are less likely to anticipate the damage Australia will do to itself.
After the Australian government turned its attention to the possible illegal influences and espionage activities of universities and research institutions, science became another sensitive area with a vague definition. More recently, such concerns have seeped into an area of common interest between the United States, China, and Australia: climate change. Australia's top scientific research institution said in June that it would end its partnership with the Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Pilot National Laboratory. Australian intelligence officials say foreign countries can use marine research to gain a naval superiority. But scientists are confused by this claim because their research focuses on global ocean trends and is not useful for navigation.
Many observers say the scope of the discussion on tolerance within the Australian government has narrowed, creating the danger of group thinking. Too much focus on security affects Australia's understanding of China, increasing the risk of policy mistakes. (By Chris Barkley et al., translated by Chen Jun'an)