China

[TV Josh]

You'll be asking the next generation, Gen Z, to make a fairly big reduction in their standard of living. Do you think they'll agree without a fight?

Not saying a more self-reliant Australia is a bad thing, just can't see how it can happen without a major global war or a fair bit of short to medium term pain.

Our politicians only care about the next 3 years. Long term thinking and strategy isn't what wind them elections.

The next generation might not have a choice about their standard of living if China's aggressive global domination plan isn't put into check. If China took over the Pacific ocean and restricted trade in and out of Australia, and The Donald decided it wasn't anything to do with him, what choice would Gen Z have? Join the CCP? They may just have to harden the f up for the common good right now while Australia finds a new major trading partner. We did it when Britain cut us off in the 1970s to join the EU, with a bit of creative thinking we can do it again.

I agree with you that the Australian democratic system is limited to 3 year cycles of planning in the main. By contrast, the CCP has installed itself in power without any operative political rivals to deal with internally, and so they are able to plan decades into the future towards global Chinese rule. Our narcissistic small minded politicians across all parties only think and plan until the next election, and if letting China do what it wants with our land and resources helps them do that, that's what they do, e.g. selling water to China in drought stricken areas:
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ning-operation-in-drought-stricken-queensland

Hopefully instead of a major global war, China's mishandling of Coronavirus and subsequent manoeuvring in the region can wake us the f up.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Spot on. The CCP play the long game.

 

[Brodders17]

On the whole, the Chinese don't seem to have much of a sense of humour.

True, the current Australian government asking another gov to be transparent must be a joke.

 

[Tigers of Old]

True, the current Australian government asking another gov to be transparent must be a joke.

 

[Giardiasis]

True, the current Australian government asking another gov to be transparent must be a joke.

Just had to slip in “current” didn’t ya. Partisan through and through.

 

[DavidSSS]

Wow, China as the rising power is seeking to dominate and replace the current dominant power, which replaced the previous dominant power.

Can't see a huge difference myself, one dominant power is similar to the previous and the next really. Bit more self reliance would be good, or at least an attempt to set our own agenda for our own future rather than following the favoured hegemon at the time.

As for universities relying on foreign student income to survive: yes, true, but without this income (around $1 billion per annum at the big unis, Group of 8) there won't be enough money to run the universities and provide education for Australian students. It is the international student fees (by the way, Australia's third largest export is education) which make universities viable since successive governments have defunded higher education.

DS

 

[eZyT]

You should work in the commercial building industry. Nearly everything is now made in China. No idea what is going to happen with building costs if the companies have to start sourcing locally again

dunno abut costs JB, but I reckon quality would go through the roof.

Ive hung gates that were galvanised in china, and gates that were galvanised in Brisbane in the same run of fence.

the Chinese gate, which wasn't that mush cheaper, is entirely covered in surface rust while the Brisbane one is like new.

Chinese galvanising is completely *smile* IMHO

 

[AngryAnt]

As a raving leftie and eco-warrior I'm really pleased to see our more centre/right-wing brethren embracing non-consumerism and starting to actually care about geopolitics and the rights of ethnic minorities and Chinese occupied states like Tibet. A move away from raw capitalism and just digging holes and selling stuff to China is all good. Zero growth/degrowth, I'm all for it, even if it means less KFC, 4wds and Mcmansions. Hope you guys are prepared to start giving that stuff up.

But it's not just about not buying the latest iPhone or flat screen - its also not selling stuff. And that's a big problem economically, particularly for Western Australia who can pretty much shut-up shop as they buy about $5Billion pa from China and export $80billion pa. Those out of jobs could always head east - we have room for them here right?

Education? It's our 4th biggest export earner - or was. I'm all for Unis going back to be less commercial and less reliant on overseas students for income. Of course, that means a return to higher levels of government spending. You guys all cool with that? If you don't do that you can jack up fees even more of course.

Tourism? Chinese are/were the biggest single national group touring WA - not sure for the other states. I mean, international tourism will be flat for a year or two I reckon, but do we ban them? Whaddya reckon?
Overseas direct investment - this is actually significant too, around 40bill per annum in WA. This is also the most contentious/political. Damn Chinee buying our companies and even worse, housing. This is an interesting one - I'm not sure which side of the fence to sit on here to be honest.

 

[MB78]

Chinese investors flummoxed by India's new foreign investment rules

Tougher FDI rules were not a surprise, as other countries are also on guard against fire sales of corporate assets during the coronavirus outbreak, but that they apply to investments from countries that share a land border with India raised eyebrows

www.businesstoday.in

India could really hurt their economy.

Also what’s their narrative going to be to attack India. PC won’t be one that they use, which is their go to against the Western world.

 

[TV Josh]

...

Can't see a huge difference myself, one dominant power is similar to the previous and the next really.

...

Yeah, nah. I'd rather the individual freedoms of post-ww2 western capitalist democracy over the totalitarian and human rights abuse history of the CCP. Not to mention China's monitoring, rating and punishment system for its citizens. You think the CovidSafe app is sus? Have a read of this:

China's Surveillance State Should Scare Everyone

The country is perfecting a vast network of digital espionage as a means of social control—with implications for democracies worldwide.

www.theatlantic.com

Coronavirus brings China's surveillance state out of the shadows

When the man from Hangzhou returned home from a business trip, the local police got in touch. They had tracked his car by his license plate in nearby Wenzhou, which has had a spate of coronavirus cases despite being far from the epicenter of the outbreak. Stay indoors for...

www.reuters.com

 

[KnightersRevenge]

Anyone been following the racism towards people of African descent that's been happening in China this week?
I wasn't surprised on iota. Extremely racist nation. Far worse than Australia. Far, far worse.

In my experience mono-cultures have this in common. Countries that have little experience with outsiders (especially outsiders that look different) tend to react poorly. Ireland is improving but has been white for it's entire history and Catholic for centuries. Dublin is changing quicker than the rest of the country but very out-dated stereotypes and distrust of foreginers, Africans in particular, is common. China and Ireland share a history of being ruled by those who actively keep the populace indoctrinated and jealously guard their experience of "the other". In Ireland up until very recently it was the Catholic Church, in China it is the Communist Party. They keep the mono-culture going intentionally and sow distrust. No surprise this is common in China, I would not judge the people too harshly for this, the system has promoted it.

 

[KnightersRevenge]

Duplicated.

 

[KnightersRevenge]

Just had to slip in “current” didn’t ya. Partisan through and through.

I agree in principle with ToO Brodders but the Labor party has voted in favour of nearly every extension of the surveillance state's grubby fingers into our lives. They will try to hang their hat on the added ammendments. Lipstick on a pig in my opinion.

 

[Brodders17]

Just had to slip in “current” didn’t ya. Partisan through and through.

It wasnt slipped in. This government is well known for its secrecy. It had its ancestry in the use of 'on water matters' but the current lot have taken it further. fighting FOI requests has increased, as has the use of redactions. Morrison uses 'the Canberra bubble' to try to get out of answering questions.
this current government is less transparent than any gov that has preceded it.

 

[tigerman]

It wasnt slipped in. This government is well known for its secrecy. It had its ancestry in the use of 'on water matters' but the current lot have taken it further. fighting FOI requests has increased, as has the use of redactions. Morrison uses 'the Canberra bubble' to try to get out of answering questions.
this current government is less transparent than any gov that has preceded it.

Morrison also finally admitted....... after denying it for months to trying to get his church leader an invite to the White House when he was in the USA with him.

I wonder why he was in the States with him?.

He sneakily admitted to it in March, knowing the COVID-19 virus was the focus over everyones attention, he's rat cunning.

 

[Bernie]

China, the race that really does "Stop the Nation"!

 

[Giardiasis]

It wasnt slipped in. This government is well known for its secrecy. It had its ancestry in the use of 'on water matters' but the current lot have taken it further. fighting FOI requests has increased, as has the use of redactions. Morrison uses 'the Canberra bubble' to try to get out of answering questions.
this current government is less transparent than any gov that has preceded it.

Just take the word “current” out and you become far more legit with your statement. You still think of Aus as a two party system. For all intents and purposes, it isn’t. There is one class of ruling elite that bicker and argue over differences on emphasis but are in 100% agreement on the things that matter.

 

[tigerman]

China, the race that really does "Stop the Nation"!

As Shocking as it sounds, the Americain's would Vow and Declare that to be true.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Trade Minister fires back at Chinese ambassador over economic boycott threat

Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has hit out at the Chinese ambassador to Australia over suggestions the Chinese may boycott Australian products and services if the government continues its push for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. In an interview with the Australian...

www.3aw.com.au

 

[Ridley]

Research just released apparently shows that if the Chinese Govt had have acted appropriately and locked down Wuhan in early January when it was made fully aware of the extremely contagious nature of the virus then the spread would have been limited to just 5% of what it is now. 5%!

Yet they typically engaged in denial, cover up and subterfuge for 3 weeks before finally acting. So we now have over 3 million infections and over 200K dead.

Thanks CCP