Then-Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talk during a ceremony to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between Solomon Islands and China in Beijing in 2019.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
PNG naturally has its own understanding of history, as well as today’s security environment. But we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the second world war to the PNG-Australia relationship.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, left, shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing in 2023.
Andy Wong/Pool AP
With China increasingly seeking to influence Solomon Islands’ media, Australian news outlets must renew their commitment – and funding – to cover the Pacific.
Three new surveys paint a mixed picture of local feelings about China. The participants did not simply ‘love China’ or ‘hate China’, but had more complicated perceptions of the country.
The security treaty signed last week is the logical next step in the two countries’ relationship. But Australia’s interests in PNG should remain broad-based.
It’s all in the details: the wide-ranging powers hinge on the yet-to-be-defined ‘institutional autonomy’ of foreign partners that enter into agreements with Australian public universities.
As concerns mount in the US and Australia, TikTok is trying to deflect concerns over its perceived ties to the Chinese government. Its PR moves, however, may fall short.
Viewing China as an ‘enemy’ to the West is counterproductive. We need to embrace a new approach that simultaneously ‘engages and constrains’ China instead.
China made a huge splash in PNG in late 2018 with infrastructure investments and loan pledges. But since then, it has struggled to make inroads due, in part, to anti-Chinese sentiment.
The member for Canning has made a name for himself as a hawk on foreign influence in Australian politics.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Andrew Hastie on foreign influence, security and veteran mental health
In this podcast, Andrew Hastie speaks with Michelle Grattan about growing concerns over Chinese influence in Australian politics, security clearances for politicians and the mental health of veterans.
Australian media coverage of China can feel alienating to Chinese migrants, but most still hold a positive view of their adopted country.
Lukas Coch/AAP
In a recent survey, a majority of Chinese migrants said they rarely share negative stories about Australia on their social media platforms, and actually side with Australia more on human rights.
There are legitimate questions about Liu’s past connections to associations with direct or indirect links with the Chinese Communist Party.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Liu’s disastrous interview on Sky News forced the government into a full scale defence of her, saying that Labor, in pursuing her, was being “xenophobic” and “grubby”.
As crucial as the Australia-China relationship might be for Australia’s economic well being, the indications suggest the ups and downs may get rougher.
Sam Mooy/AAP
Australia is being very explicit in response to concerns about China at the moment, increasingly prepared to put aside the imperatives of diplomacy when necessary.
Professor of Public Ethics, Clive Hamilton, has warned that unless Australian universities act decisively, they will live “under the ever-darkening shadow of Beijing”.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Professor of Public Ethics, Clive Hamilton, has accused “many” vice-chancellors of of losing sight of academic freedom, under the pressure of revenue and influence from China.
There has been mounting concern over Chinese influence in Australia’s universities.
Paul Miller
The Morrison government is setting up a University Foreign Interference Taskforce, as it grapples with encroachments by China into Australia’s higher education sector.
“He was much loved by the Australian community. He was a character - a political character - in an era when you tend to get white bread politicians,” says Michelle Grattan on Tim Fischer.
Alan Porritt/AAP
Michelle Grattan reflects on Tim Fischer’s personal and political legacy, and discusses the kind of leader Scott Morrison is with the anniversary of his prime ministership approaching on Saturday.
All Confucius Institutes teach Chinese language and culture but the nature of what they offer varies.
LUIS ENRIQUE ASCUI/AAP
The government is asking universities to register the Confucius Institutes they host under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme. So, what are these institutes and what do they teach?
WeChat is a Chinese social media platform, similar to Facebook.
Shutterstock
Findings from a new study suggest that the main source of news for Mandarin-speakers living in Australia is local, Chinese-language outlets accessed via WeChat.