China on Thursday said it will lift tariffs placed on Australian wine over three years ago, in a sign of improving ties between the two countries. China’s Ministry of Commerce said the decision will take effect Friday. China imposed tariffs on Australian wine in 2020 during a diplomatic feud over Australia’s support for a global … Read more
The Australian government yesterday announced an A$2 billion ($1.3 billion) fund to boost trade and investment in Southeast Asia, as leaders from the region gathered for a special Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the fund to a meeting of Australian and Southeast Asian CEOs, along with … Read more
While the year of democracy began with something of a farce in Bangladesh, far more credible elections will be held this weekend in Taiwan. Given how China may react to the result – as well as Taiwan’s significance as an Indo-Pacific player in its own regard – these elections are highly consequential. For Australia there … Read more
After a sustained trough in the Australia-China relationship during the tenure of the Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison-led coalition governments (2015-2022) in Australia, 2023 has seen the détente pursued by the incumbent Labor administration come to fruition, with the relationship widely regarded to have “stabilized.” This improvement has been marked by a number of milestones. … Read more
Anthony Albanese’s historic visit to China last month — the first by an Australian prime minister since 2016 — has widely been heralded as a turning point in the bilateral relationship. But Australians will be left wondering if stabilization has come at the cost of fundamental human rights. Polling conducted by the United States Studies … Read more
Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, signaling a long-awaited thaw in Sino-Australian relations. After 18 months of careful diplomacy, each country is now ready and willing to work toward a productive relationship. Already barriers regarding trade are slowly being lifted; China is removing tariffs on … Read more
Advertisement The Australia-China relationship – which encompasses economic connectedness, strategic and security implications, political and diplomatic ties, and longstanding community and cultural links – pervades myriad aspects of Australian public life both directly and indirectly. So what do Australians think about the bilateral relationship? The UTS:ACRI/BIDA Poll 2023 by the Australia-China Relations Institute and the Centre for … Read more
Advertisement The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to reshape the international system escalated last week when it placed “bounties” of $128,000 on the heads of eight Hong Kong democracy activists. Included in the eight were an Australian citizen, Kevin Yam, and Ted Hui, who has been living in Australia since 2021. The bounties represent a … Read more
Oceania | Diplomacy | Oceania Ukraine dominates the media landscape in a way that Myanmar’s civil war and the refugee crisis in Bangladesh don’t. Advertisement In the past week Australia has made two direct investments in global stability. The first was a sum of $8.3 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Bangladesh and Myanmar following Tropical Cyclone Mocha. … Read more
Oceania | Economy | East Asia China recently resumed imports of Australian coal, cotton, and copper, and Minister Don Farrell has said he would push for a review of tariffs on Australian barley. Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell arrives in Beijing, China, May 11, 2023. Credit: Facebook/ Don Farrell Advertisement Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell … Read more