In yet another attack on the Turnbull government by the China Lobby today, it’s a shame Bob Carr didn’t update his usual apologetics for keeping on good terms with Beijing to take account of real-world developments.
In a screed lamenting that Australia had not worked with China to help it establish a powerful role in the Pacific, or embraced its Belt-and-Road economic imperialism (sorry, “put ourselves in the vanguard of Western nations which respect China’s global conversation about infrastructure”), Carr complained “right now New Zealand could open such a dialogue with China, or for that matter Canada or France.”
Surely a scholar like Professor Carr was aware that New Zealand won’t be establishing any dialogues with the Chinese at the moment given the Kiwis’ new defence White Paper explicitly (and correctly) identifies China and Russia as threats. Both acting PM and Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark made a virtue of blunt talking in relation to China. “We’re not here to make people happy. We’re here to be a responsible international citizen,” Peters said.
The Chinese, of course, have expressed the usual outrage, even as they’ve continued illegally militarising islands in the South China Sea. Confecting high dudgeon at the mildest criticism is a standard Beijing tactic.
Carr also peddles a particular notion that seems beloved of the China Lobby and of another top-flight Labor Sinologist, Kevin Rudd, that Malcolm Turnbull was guilty of some sort of outrageous affront to Chinese sensibility by quoting Mao Zedong about the “standing up” in late 2017. Rudd claimed that this was the equivalent of “publicly punch[ing] the Chinese in the face”; Carr — always more professional than Rudd — doesn’t go that far, and settles for calling it a “gratuitous parody”. It was Beijing itself, of course, that first confected outrage at Turnbull’s homage to the late Chinese mass murderer. It’s odd how Beijing’s talking points get echoed by the China Lobby here. And Bob Carr has been doing it for a long time indeed.
Pretty strange case of De-javo in the language in the NZ statement on China….they describe the approach as a “clear eyed” approach to China…….This sounds awfully reminiscent of the exact BS used in Australia’s own comments…..I wonder if either or both countries are somehow mouthing the same crap as fed to them by the USA?
Hmmm Donald Trump or China…which one is the biggest threat to Australia at the moment?
Good god almighty! Are we going to have to read a ‘Bernard vs the yellow peril’ article every week? His keyboard has hardly cooled down from his last foray into the South China Seas!
I take your point about the similarity in the rhetoric. However, I am almost certain that New Zealand isn’t fully sincere in its latest comments; as quoted by our Bernard. Didn’t I read somewhere about a New Zealand delegation is heading to, or had arrived in, China? Do delegations from the Land of the Long White Cloud go to other countries to merely look at the scenery?
“High dudgeon”? This piece is one of the best examples around.
Rabid comments attacking any criticism of China’s policy… 3….2…1…
Rabid? A bit of hyperbole there, nudie!
There may be a few chinks in Bobs armour but he is right about Turnbull needlessly giving us his Fu Manchu impression.. This is our most important relationship and it needs to be treated as such..
Lotta knees a’jerking.
Well, AR. Can you answer me this?
For many years Bob Carr supported Zionist Israel. How many times did you or Keane criticise him for that support?