"But things began to worsen in 2018 or so, as Australia became worried about increased Chinese posturing, for example over the South China Sea. Canberra was the first country to ban Huawei on security grounds. When the Australian’s called for a Covid enquiry in 2020 this took the relationship down even further, and China brought in large scale punitive import tariffs and bans. But Australian losses weren’t that great as they found other markets, on the whole." That's the official Australian narrative, Bad China. And it's nonsense.
1. "Australia became worried about increased Chinese posturing, for example over the South China Sea”. Australia had no cause for worry about China's activities in its own waters, since they are far from Australia's shores and its littoral states are managing their disparate claims without Australia's assistance.
2. "Canberra was the first country to ban Huawei on security grounds." No, Australia was the first country to reject Huawei's offer to establish its world security headquarters in Australia them send ministers and former heads of state to the world's capitals begging foreign governments to ban Huawei, when Huawei –China's first global tech leader – did not and does not represent a security threat to anyone.
3. "Australian’s called for a Covid enquiry in 2020". The only country to permit a WHO enquiry found that there was no sign of the virus before September, 2019. Did the US tell Canberra that the CDC found Covid endemic in the US in 2019? That the first Covid death occurred in the Kansas, not China? Serologic testing of U.S. blood donations to identify SARS-CoV-2-reactive antibodies. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/72/12/e1004/6012472].
4. "China brought in large scale punitive import tariffs and bans. But Australian losses weren’t that great as they found other markets, on the whole." Two years after China imposed tariffs on Australian products, Aussie vintners say, “We’ve found new little opportunities, there was never anything to replace a market of China's size, particularly at the luxury end”. Chinese tourism is down 92% on pre-pandemic figures. International Chinese students revenue is down 70%. Australia sold its high-quality malting barley harvest to Saudi Arabia for animal feed. "Our findings are clear: Beijing's plans for rapid decarbonisation and energy security signal the end for Australia's current coal export boon, and not far off into the future; it is imminent”. Australian coal will be the first to go.
"But things began to worsen in 2018 or so, as Australia became worried about increased Chinese posturing, for example over the South China Sea. Canberra was the first country to ban Huawei on security grounds. When the Australian’s called for a Covid enquiry in 2020 this took the relationship down even further, and China brought in large scale punitive import tariffs and bans. But Australian losses weren’t that great as they found other markets, on the whole." That's the official Australian narrative, Bad China. And it's nonsense.
1. "Australia became worried about increased Chinese posturing, for example over the South China Sea”. Australia had no cause for worry about China's activities in its own waters, since they are far from Australia's shores and its littoral states are managing their disparate claims without Australia's assistance.
2. "Canberra was the first country to ban Huawei on security grounds." No, Australia was the first country to reject Huawei's offer to establish its world security headquarters in Australia them send ministers and former heads of state to the world's capitals begging foreign governments to ban Huawei, when Huawei –China's first global tech leader – did not and does not represent a security threat to anyone.
3. "Australian’s called for a Covid enquiry in 2020". The only country to permit a WHO enquiry found that there was no sign of the virus before September, 2019. Did the US tell Canberra that the CDC found Covid endemic in the US in 2019? That the first Covid death occurred in the Kansas, not China? Serologic testing of U.S. blood donations to identify SARS-CoV-2-reactive antibodies. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/72/12/e1004/6012472].
4. "China brought in large scale punitive import tariffs and bans. But Australian losses weren’t that great as they found other markets, on the whole." Two years after China imposed tariffs on Australian products, Aussie vintners say, “We’ve found new little opportunities, there was never anything to replace a market of China's size, particularly at the luxury end”. Chinese tourism is down 92% on pre-pandemic figures. International Chinese students revenue is down 70%. Australia sold its high-quality malting barley harvest to Saudi Arabia for animal feed. "Our findings are clear: Beijing's plans for rapid decarbonisation and energy security signal the end for Australia's current coal export boon, and not far off into the future; it is imminent”. Australian coal will be the first to go.