A Senate candidate in Australia billing himself as a choice for social harmony has a long history of activity with #China's government's main arm of overseas influence, the United Front Work Department. abc.net.au/news/2022-05-1…
Canberra-based Dr Li Fuxin — the founder and principal of a Chinese language school — announced his intent to run for Australia's upper house as an independent in late March.
While he declared he was running on a platform of multiculturalism, education and business, he was less forthcoming about the fact that, in recent years, he has cultivated important ties to #Beijing, mainly through senior positions within provincial arms of the United Front.
"If people are members — and, certainly, if they're office holders in United Front-linked organisations — then their duty is to work on behalf of the Chinese Community Party," said Clive Hamilton.
Hamilton said Dr Li was very unlikely to gather enough votes to be elected and his candidacy was more likely to be focused on building his reputation within the Chinese community in Australia.
"It's all very much part of extending his influence and building his power within the Chinese diaspora [in Canberra]," Professor Hamilton said.
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“Washington should be careful what it wishes for. #China is a massive economy, and a full-blown economic crash would be as damaging to the world as another sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US or the breakup of the euro.” theguardian.com/world/2022/may…
“Growth is slowing and not just because of the tough restrictions insisted upon by President Xi Jinping. Flaws in China’s economic model coupled with a more hostile geopolitical climate mean the days of explosive expansion are over.”
“Unlike the US the UK or the euro area, China is not facing the inflationary problem that has prompted central banks to raise (or think about raising) interest rates.
"Finland has formally confirmed it intends to join Nato, abandoning decades of military non-alignment in a historic decision triggered by Russia’s invasion of #Ukraine." theguardian.com/world/2022/may…
“Finland is applying for Nato membership. A protected Finland is being born as part of a stable, strong and responsible Nordic region. We gain security and we also share it. It’s good to keep in mind that security isn’t a zero-sum game," said Finland’s president, Sauli Niinistö
The prime minister, Sanna Marin, said the proposal would now be sent to parliament for ratification. “Our decision is historic,” she said. “As a member of Nato, we will also be responsible for the security of the alliance as a whole.”
Important story from @hkfp: "The list of closed platforms also includes Citizen News. But a number of small-scale local Chinese-language outlets are still telling the stories of #HongKong in an independent voice." hongkongfp.com/2022/05/09/exp…
“[A]lthough the environment changed, most of us have remained in our position and try our best to find the truth for the Hong Kong community,” said Ronson Chan, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
Founded by “a small group of former Apple Daily employees” on July 21 last year, Channel C HK has won more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube, over 185,000 Instagram followers and nearly 80,000 likes on Facebook in just nine months.
"#China’s leaders can see in their neighbours a Covid situation that they fear could be their fate if the virus takes hold and they have responded with a lockdown in #Shanghai that has lasted seven weeks and shows no immediate signs of ending." theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
"As locals stay confined to their homes, drones fly near apartment blocks, intoning the phrase: “Control your soul’s desire for freedom.” China can still argue that in absolute terms its “zero-Covid” policy has had remarkable success in preventing deaths."
"But it has come at a price; there is no clear policy for how China can reopen its borders to live with a virus that scientists expect to become endemic, or how to deal with it, other than with repeated lockdowns that harm the fragile economy and have led to increased panic ...
An Australian family's departure from #Shanghai: "We were lucky to be able to leave, but so many people are not in [that] position. I feel like we abandoned our neighbours… they were really happy that we were able to go, but I felt terrible leaving them." abc.net.au/news/2022-05-1…
"Last month, the family decided to return to Australia after seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in their neighbourhood and due to fear of the government separating infected children from their parents."
"People have been taken away in the middle of the night from our lane. Screaming. It was awful," Vivian said.
"Amid the unfolding crisis, #China has gone further and drawn a parallel between NATO and the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy announced by the Biden administration in February." channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/us…
"Key thrusts of the new US strategy include a free and open Indo-Pacific; supporting India’s continued rise and regional leadership; strengthening the Quad; strengthening extended deterrence with Japan and South Korea; ...
... expanding US Coastguard presence; contributing to an empowered Asean; and closing the region’s infrastructure gap."