Penny Wong’s first trip as foreign minister appears to have been a success. But there is a long road ahead – and lessons from 50 years ago may be useful.
Africa runs the risk, yet again, of being an onlooker while others make policy for the continent.
A diplomatic thaw has occurred between Australia and China, as Foreign Minister Marise Payne meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
AAP/EPA/Thomas Peter/ pool
Marise Payne this week became the first Australian foreign minister to visit China in three years – another indication that the frost in the relationship is thawing.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, have had a rocky relationship in recent years.
Aaron Favila/AP Pool
The rhetoric between Australia and China is reaching a fever pitch in the media, with less room for journalists to take a more nuanced, objective viewpoint.
Chinese company managers at the site of a highway project in Kenya. While traditional donors fund the social sectors, China’s emphasis is infrastructure.
Reuters/Antony Njuguna
The pervasive new argument is that China is upending the dominance of traditional Africa aid donors from the West. But a new study shows that while China is making inroads, the West is staying put.