Before bagging China we should get our trade in order so that we are not economically dependant on China. We have to realise that China is governed by a Communist Party that will do whatever neccessary to maintain that regime via its command economy.
We have been blessed since the GFC with favourable China trade; so much so that if China put economic sanctions on Australia, we'd be bankrupt within 5 years. Last year's trade surplus with China was over $50 bilion. While rubbishing of China on social media seems to be the weapon of choice by those who obviously dont benefit from our favourable Chinese trade.
So rather than rubbish China now, it would make sound economic & political sense to China-proof our domestic economy & export trade by adding value to our raw resources & diversifying trade. At present we "cant bowl, cant bat" yet we sit on the sidlines as if we had the economic independance to be China critics! The high labour costs mantra is becomming obsolete due to the automation of manufacturing and countries like Japan & Korea passing us out in the wages stakes and China lifting its wages at 3 times the Aussie rate.
I can understand Aussies who have been dispossessed of the benefits of our resources (85% of our mines are foreign owned) being critical of China because they do not have any skin in the game. Rather than critisise China on whom we are economically dependant, we should be taking the hard yards to rejig the Aussie economy so that we're China proof. For a start we can:
-embark on a national scheme to add value to our iron ore & coking coal ; two of our most valuable exports.* -add alue to our other base metals such as alumina copper etc -add value to our gold & diamonds -develop agribusinesses -buy back the "farm" project -emulate Indonesia's minerals & energy programs. etc etc!
Forget sport & the Armed forces; as Clinton said "it's the economy stupid"
These strategies would need us to put our backs and our money into China proofing our economy. Instead we prefet to hide behind social media handles harbouring the fantacies that our "keboard warrior" anti-China proclamations will make a difference. ( we're just shooting ourselves in the economic foot)
We are been ripped off by a few and we perpetually elect Governments who pander to multinationals and our few home grown billionaires so that all we can do is whinge.
Just think about it. Imagine you are a corner store owner with one supplier who perpetually critises how you do business. What would you do? Find other suppliers who will not defame you? What are we? Can you imagine posters on these threads hitting the streets like the French or Hong Kong youth to protest the 85% foreign ownership of our mines and virtually 100% ownership of our beer production! Na, its easier to post on these threads, and barrack for idiots such as Trump rather than addressing internal structural problems.
* historical national wealth has been developed by -(a)agricultural developmeny -(b) mineral resource exploitation -(c) adding value to (a) & (b)
While we admire the USA we seem to Ignore how the USA got to where it is now over the past 130 years. Perhaps that's too hard for us!
