China relations just took a great big turn for the worse

Originally posted by Lapdog: ↑

@OmniVerse, thanks for the frank and thoughtful response, I hear what you're saying and agree with many of the comments you made about dissent within China.

Forty years ago Japan was the World's second largest economy and Australia's large trading partner.

China's emergence from totalitarian isolation to a more modern market economy has not been without a lot of pain and huge social upheaval. Today American sweatshops employ many Chinese and pay them peanuts for producing good such as Apple iPhones even as China's 'middle class' now approaches the population of the entire USA.

As China moves towards rivalling the US as the World's largest economy Australia cannot afford to stick its head in the sand and pretend that China doesn't matter to our future. Unfortunately that's already in trouble as China has slashed investment in Australia from $16 Billion in 2106 to an estimated $1 Billion in 2020 - and likely to fall even further.

Because of the behaviour of Australia's government we now have no influence whatsoever over China and stand to be further punished via even more cuts to our exports to China.

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First point, Trump has recently started placing sanctions on companies that use slave labour in what you term sweatshops. I believe Nike and NBA have been recent examples of either abuses of human rights found or use of slave labour. Though Trump has his rants but I do agree on some of his policies and strategic decisions.

to your second point, i understand about rise of China but I certainly don't agree with the view that it has been a peaceful one. Especially since xi took over office. And now for life apparently.

I think what everyone needs to think about is what kind of relationship Australia wants with china as there has been countless cases and news articles covering espionage activities ranging from political to intellectual property theft. If this is the measure of the kind of relationship Australia can expect out of Beijing then I certainly think scomo should cut the ties. And we all know the recent moves by ccp in regards to treasury wines (used to be a holder myself) was politically motivated. So if ccp continues to use threats and intimidation to get what it wants then they are certainly not winning any friends. And I certainly don't think any right minded politician in Canberra is willing to pursue a relationship like this.

I fear that unless xi is removed and a more moderate chairman is enshrined, we will see a more isolated china. Their growth has been fulled by many countries including the west who have used china as a manufacturing hub, however as more pressure mounts on companies to exit out of China I just cannot see the future growth trending in line with pre-covid figures. I do not trust china's GDP figures as we all know it's heavily cooked and would not trust them with my pet fishes. I think any prestige or respect ccp may have commanded are now are now tarnished. This is not from scomo or Trumps doing, but from the political government of ccp and xi himself is to be blamed.