Australia’s Grapple with the Chinese Dragon

Five years into Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s life, a momentous event was taking place nearly nine thousand kilometres north that would reshape relations in the APAC region to this date and set the stage for the biggest political fight of his future career. Labor’s Gough Whitlam had just touched down in the People’s Republic of China, becoming the first Australian political leader to do so on a formal visit, one year after the two nations formally established diplomatic ties in 1972. In that year, he ended 23 years of Liberal-coalition rule in Canberra and in doing so, thawed Aussie-Sino relations; ceasing to recognise Chiang Kai-shek’s government in Taiwan who had been the recipient of an Australian ambassador since 1966, and ending the harsh domestic rhetoric that had fuelled multiple fear campaigns against Beijing amongst Australian citizens. In one iconic image from that visit ‘The Young Brolga’ as the Prime Minister was colloquially known, was pressed up against The Echo Wall, an ancient structure surrounding the six hundred year old Imperial Vault of Heaven. Also known as the Whispering Wall, the listener can hear voices propelled around the structure. If only the voices could foreshadow the troubles that would present itself on the road ahead in this important geopolitical relationship.

Compared to a bat that sides with the victorious side; first providing allegiance to mammals, before then showing its wings and declaring itself a bird, Chinese publications have long attacked Australia for having a ‘flip flop’ approach to relations. The country has often been caught in a bind between pursuing closer ties with the United States at the expense of China, or becoming closer to Beijing in an affront to the ‘Five Eyes’ security council to which it belongs.

Economic reforms initiated under Deng Xiaoping from 1978 fostered a powerful bilateral trading partnership that has grown exponentially over the past four decades. One third of Australian exports are accounted for by China, who purchase 60% of the nation’s iron, coal and gas shipments that have proven so important for Australia’s economic performance since the 1990’s. Indeed, this economic performance seems so acutely coalesced with China that each household down under benefits to the tune of at least A$3000 per year, according to the ‘Australia China Business Council’. Politically however, the kindled camaraderie of the two nations began to subside in 1996, when the newly elected Liberal-coalition government expressed rapid support…