Foreign affairs

By Elena Collinson

Note: This article originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, April 21 2016. 

China doesn't figure big in this US presidential campaign despite the country being America's largest trading partner, with trade totalling $600 billion a year.

A report commissioned by ACRI spells out the UK's pragmatic China policy.

The UK was the first western country to sign up to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It aims to become the world's leading RMB trading hub. In 2015 President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister David Cameron signed more than 40 billion pounds worth of deals.

The report finds that the UK is running a decidedly pragmatic China policy based on its national interests, aimed at securing the economic opportunities China presents.

Author: Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute and Professor of Chinese Studies, King's College London

The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney was delighted to host our Canberra supporters at the second ‘Ambassadors Series’ panel event featuring former Australian Ambassadors to China David Irvine and Ric Smith.

David Irvine was Australian Ambassador to China 2000-2003. He was Director General of ASIS 2003-2009, Director General of ASIO 2009-2014 and has recently been appointed to the Foreign Investment Review Board.

This journal article was published in the Australian Journal of International Affairs, 70:1, 1-5.

Introduction

On December 3 2015 as part of our 'Prime Ministers Series' ACRI launched 'Fraser and China'; a tribute to Malcolm Fraser's China policy.

Hosted by the Chinese Consulate Melbourne, ACRI Director Bob Carr and Consul General Song were joined by Mrs Tamie Fraser and Australia's first Ambassador to China Stephen FitzGerald in launching the publication.

The publication includes the transcript of ACRI's panel discussion on 'Fraser and China', hosted by Corrs Chambers Westgarth Melbourne on August 17 2015.

On November 10 2015 the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) hosted an event with Oliver Lu, Chief Editor of Phoenix TV, in conversation with ACRI Chairman and ACPPRC Chairman Xiangmo Huang and ACRI Director Bob Carr.

Phoenix Television is a global leading media company. It provides premium content and services for the mainstream Chinese community on a seamless platform across internet, mobile and TV networks. Its six satellite TV channels have an audience in excess of 250 million viewers.

This audit of the Australia-China relationship, commissioned by the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney, reveals that Australia’s bilateral economic, diplomatic, cultural and defence ties with China are, overall, solid in comparison with those of Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the US. On no criteria included in this paper did Australia score exceptionally badly — as can be seen in Appendix: Companion Table.

The joint statement from AUSMIN 2015 commits Australia and the US “to pursue enhanced naval cooperation across all domains, including additional combined training and exercises…”[1]

This language is identical with the language of joint statements from AUSMINs each year from 2011.

On September 23 2015 ACRI hosted a roundtable event on the South China Sea in collaboration with a delegation from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), a research institute under Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The event began with a presentation by Dr Dang Dinh Quy, President of the DAV, followed by a discussion on territorial claims in the South China Sea, Chinese foreign policy and the Australian position.

The roundtable was an insightful entry to the perspectives of ASEAN members and in particular Vietnamese thinking about China’s role in the region.