Victoria’s Opposition has called for an inquiry into Premier Daniel Andrews’ controversial visit to China as concerns continue to be raised over what shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan describes as Andrews’ “secret trip.” Andrews is currently in China for a four-day visit before he returns to Melbourne on April 1; Andrews has been criticised for…
Daniel Andrews’ ‘Secretive’ China Trip Under Scrutiny for Lack of Transparency
Foreign Minister Still Concerned Over Australian Journalist’s Long-Term Detention in China
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says she remains deeply concerned over the continuing detention of China-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who has been imprisoned for nearly three years. Cheng was arrested by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities in 2020 on charges of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas.” She had been working at the time of her…
Australia to Follow US Lead If China Invades Taiwan: Former Australian Defense Minister
Australia will follow the U.S. lead in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, according to former Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews. “Under the arrangements, we have with the United States, we’re very close to the United States. I’m sure if we were called upon by the United States to act, then we would…
Chinese Ambassador Accuses the US of Being a Failing Democracy
The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, has sent a letter full of criticism of the U.S.-led democratic world to New Zealand MPs while claiming that China had a different system of democracy. Wang accused the United States of having a sense of superiority and spreading “false” narratives of democracy versus authoritarianism. He claimed…
Daniel Andrews Announces Surprise Visit to China
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will be the first state leader to visit China, ahead of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, since the outbreak of COVID-19. Andrews will leave on March 27 and visit Beijing, as well as the provinces of Jiangsu and Sichuan, before returning to Melbourne on April 1. He will meet with Chinese…
‘Gave You 3 Years to Deal With It’: Australian Senator on Coalition’s Inaction on China-Owned TikTok
Amid recent pressure on Australia’s federal Labor government over its slow response to TikTok, as the only Five Eyes government to not have issued a ban, the issue was raised in parliament by Special Minister of State Don Farrell. During Question Time in the upper house on March 24, Labor’s Farrell said that the Coalition had…
How Will Australia Pay for Its $386 Billion Nuclear Sub Deal
Commentary Will the AUKUS nuclear subs consume the Australian budget? It’s a good question. The expenditure is huge in Australian terms. The total deal is currently worth $386 billion (US$260 billion) and will be spread out over 30 years. So, on average, it will cost $12 billion a year. This is about one-third of the…
China and Australia Thaw Continues as Defence Officials Talk for First Time in 3 Years
The thaw between Australia and China appears to be continuing after Chinese defence officials announced that they had sat down for the first time in three years with Australian defence officials. Chinese defence officials said in a media statement on March 22 that Australia and China held the eighth defence coordination dialogue in Canberra, Australia, and…
Chinese Firm Wins Bid to Upgrade Solomon Island’s International Seaport
The Solomon Islands government has handed a multi-million-dollar contract for a port upgrade to China’s largest construction company. The state-owned China Civil Engineering Construction Company was the only company to bid for the project, according to government sources. “This will be upgrading the old international port in Honiara and two domestic wharves in the provinces,”…
No Pledge Made to Assist US If Conflict Over Taiwan Breaks Out, Says Australian Defence Minister
Australia did not make any commitment to the United States in the event of a Taiwan conflict in exchange for access to its Virginia-class nuclear submarines, Defence Minister Richard Marles said. “Absolutely not. And I couldn’t be more unequivocal than that,” Marles told ABC Insiders. Leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States…
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