Really great point: "Assuming such engagements continue and increase, the Australian government needs a clear pathway setting out what it aims to achieve and how it intends to respond to Beijing’s short-term expectations of silence and longer-term demands of changed policy." 2/
And - "After all, Beijing would have developed its own expectations and demands with complete clarity before inviting Wong. The visit was never an end in itself for Beijing, so it cannot be for Australia either." 3/
would love to write about how labor government policies/rhetorics on china amount to "quiet-quitting". if only there is the time and space to do so
as im not writing a whole piece i'll write a couple quick points. 1) a "calm and consistent" approach sounds v condescending. it implies that communist china is a rogue state (which it truly is) and australia is trying to be the adult in the relationship
problem is, that's unlikely how chinese leaders (esp Xi Jinping) see things.
there is this popular belief (not necessarily correct) that for being a traumatized & developing country, chinese people are better at scheming and grifting; and westerners are naive in comparison
In the grand scheme of things this is such a small and pathetic complaint but I have to complain about this. I’m a Chinese journalist and write about human rights. So the Chinese government canceled me last year and Chinese media blasted disinformation about what a liar and 1/
slut I am for months and months. I’m in 15-people orgies Chinese media said. I’m a demon they also said. The Chinese secret police (the MSS) made/fabricated a 4-episode documentary series about my supposed sex life. I was too traumatized to date or think about anything sexual 2/
for months and months. The Chinese government stole my sex drive, literally. And then this year after lots of yoga and therapy I decided to go back to dating. I got on the apps with a fake name & old pictures and my profile is vague/safe as shit. Still I repeatedly get banned 3/