How does China go about winning back the hearts and minds of the world? Its obsession with control and misplaced soft power efforts are clearly not doing it any favours.
Protests in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition law are the largest in the territory’s history. But not all of the people out in the street share the same tactics or goals.
Even if only 130 Australians of non-Chinese heritage can speak Mandarin fluently, there are many more if you count those of Chinese heritage. And a level of fluency is not the only measure of success.
Western aid has resulted in an Anglo-American culture of journalism education which has proved impractical to implement in African countries with illiberal political regimes.
Vanuatu has banned them outright, while many Chinese families use just one every 24 hours. So why are Australians still sending millions of dirty nappies to landfill every single day?
China’s naval strategy has been to prevent America from ever projecting its power by sea in the Asia-Pacific region again. Now that it’s worked, the region needs to take notice.
As China’s challenges mount, can Xi Jinping continue to maintain economic growth and social stability without losing the party’s absolute political control?
Presidents Xi and Trump agreed to restart trade talks at the G-20, but even if a major deal is reached, US companies would still have a very hard time doing business in China.
Trump believes the money Americans spend on Chinese imports like the iPhone goes straight into China’s pockets. In reality, China gets very little value from it.
Relentless coverage of China’s political system, allegations of interference in Australia’s politics, and its poor relations with neighbours have led to Australian attitudes towards China.
In a major speech ahead of the G20, Prime Minister Scott Morrison commits to further enhancing Australia’s relationship with China while maintaining its allyship with the United States.
In the face of climate change, the poorest are suffering from the excess emissions of CO₂ linked to the lifestyle of the richest. It is time to act, in the name of climate and social justice.