The author explores the strategies employed by the Chinese Communist Party in its endeavours to exploit the now apparent weaknesses of Western liberal individualism in the global competition for economic and political dominance. The history and impact of postmodern neoliberal ideologies in the field of economic affairs are discussed and criticised at length. Questions of identity are also raised in the context of the West's ability to resist Chinese irredentism in the domestic arena. The paper is divided into sections that address, inter alia, CCP Doctrine and Objectives; United Front objectives, tactics and methodologies; the political realities behind "relationship building"; and others. A significant portion of the paper is committed to a discussion surrounding the "China-Australia Free Trade Agreement" and its effects, which provides a uniquely Australian perspective from which the topic is analysed.
Gregory Butler is a policy professional based in Canberra, Australia, and occasional commentator on current affairs.
“Speech by the Prime Minister, the Hon. E.G. Whitlam QC MP, at Premier Chou En-Lai’s banquet at Peking on 31 October 1973” (Department of Prime Minster and Cabinet, Commonwealth of Australia, Prime Ministerial Transcripts, Document No. 3059)
“China-Australia Free Trade Agreement: ChAFTA Outcomes at a Glance” (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Commonwealth of Australia; Factsheet, update August 2018)
Anthony Albanese, “Remarks – Meeting with Premier Li – Beijing – People’s Republic of China” (Prime Minister, Commonwealth of Australia, 7 November 2023)
China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Regulation Impact Statement (23 March 2015)
Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 16 September 2015, p. 10333 (Andrew Robb MHR, Minister for Trade and Investment)
Free Trade Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, National Interest Analysis [2015] ATNIF 15 (15 June 2015)
“Is Australia’s trade with China past its peak?” The Australian (online) <theaustralian.com.au> (8 July 2020)
“Joshua Philipp on Coronavirus Origins, China’s ‘Bat Woman,’ and the CCP’s Coverup” The Epoch Times (online) <theepochtimes.com> (24 April 2020)
Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (Verso – New Left Books, 1991)
Australian Strategic Policy Institute Critical Technology Tracker (online) <aspi.org> (22 September 2023)
David Baldwin, Economic Statecraft: New Edition (Princeton, 2020)
Rachel Baxendale, “Coronavirus Australia: Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas defends Belt and Road deal with China” The Australian (online) <theaustralian.com.au> (13 May 2020 @ 1:07pm, updated 1:47pm)
Carl Benedikt Frey, “How Culture Gives the US an Innovation Edge Over China”, MIT Sloan Management Review (online) <sloanreview.mit.edu> (8 February 2021)
Eliza Borello, “Andrew Robb blames former Coalition leaders for ‘toxic’ relationship with China” ABC News (online) <abc.net.au> (12 March 2019 @ 5:59am, updated 9:16am)
Alexander Bowe, China’s Overseas United Front Work: Background and Implications for the United States (US-China Economic and Security Review Commission Research Report, 24 August 2018)
Anne-Marie Brady, “Magic Weapons: China’s political influence activities under Xi Jinping”, Wilson Center – Kissinger Institute on China and the United States (online) <wilsoncenter.org> (18 September 2017)
Anne-Marie Brady, Making the Foreign Serve China: Managing Foreigners in the People’s Republic (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)
Judith Brett, “Relaxed and Comfortable: The Liberal Party’s Australia” Quarterly Essay (August 2005)
Mike Burgess, “Director-General’s Annual Threat Assessment” (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Commonwealth of Australia, 21 February 2023)
Tom Burton, “Why top spy Rachel Noble Fears Attack from the Inside” Australian Financial Review (online) <afr.com> (9 November 2023 @ 9:38am)
Nick Cater, “Albanese’s ‘Promise’ of Unity has only Divided Us” The Australian (online) <theaustralian.com.au> (20 November 2023 @ 12:00am)
Chi Ling Chan, “Fallen Behind: Science, Technology, and Soviet Statism”, Intersect, Vol. 8 No. 3 (2015)
Michael Clifton, “What should Australian business do about its waning influence on Australia-PRC relations?”, China Matters Policy Brief (July 2020)
A. W. Bob Coates, The Sociology and Professionalization of Economics (Routledge 1993)
Maurice Cowling, Religion and Public Doctrine in Modern England, Vol 1 (Cambridge, 1980)
Adam Creighton, “How the West became more like China” The Australian (online) <theaustralian.com.au> (2 March 2021 @ 9:41am)
Larry Diamond and Orville Schell (eds.), China’s Influence & American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance, Report of the Working Group on Chinese Influence Activities in the United States (Hoover Institution, 2019)
Frank Dikotter, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower (Bloomsbury, 2022)
Robert Dunn, Identity Crises: A Social Critique of Postmodernity (University of Minnesota, 1998)
Doug Ferguson, Helen Zhi Dent, Sissi Quian, Hans Hendrischke, Wei Li, Demystifying Chinese Investment in Australia (Sydney University and KPMG, 14 April 2023)
Kerry Gershanek, Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating China’s Plan to “Win without Fighting” (Marine Corps University Press, 2020)
Clive Hamilton, Silent Invasion: China’s Influence in Australia (Hardie Grant, 2018)
Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg, Hidden Hand: Exposing how the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World (Hardie Grant, 2020)
Samuel Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity (Simon & Schuster, 2005)
Alex Joske, The Party Speaks for You: Foreign Interference and the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front System (Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Policy Brief, 2020)
Lucas Kunce, “The China Hack and How to Reverse It”, Prospect (online) <prospect.org> (9 December 2020)
Stephen Marglin, The Dismal Science: How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines Community (Harvard, 2008)
Peter Mattis and Alex Joske, “The Third Magic Weapon: Reforming China’s United Front”, War on the Rocks – Texas National Security Review (online) <waronthe rocks.com> (24 June 2019)
Richard McGregor, “Chinese Coercion, Australian Resilience”, Lowy Institute (online) <lowyinstitute.org> (October 2022)
James O’Donnell, “Mapping Social Cohesion 2023”, Scanlon Foundation (online) <scanloninstitute.org.au> (14 November 2023)
Stewart Paterson, China, Trade and Power: Why the West’s Economic Engagement has Failed (London Publishing Partnership, 2018)
Jamie Reilly and Jingdong Yuan (eds.), Engaging China: How Australia can Lead the Way Again (Sydney University Press, 2023)
Amy Remeikis, “Sam Dastyari quits as Labor senator over China connections” The Guardian (online) <theguardian.com> (12 Dec 2017 @ 10:44AEST).
Peter Schweizer, Red Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win (Harper, 2022)
Matt Sheehan, “How China Became an Innovation Powerhouse”, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (online) <carnegieendowment.org> (10 January 2023)
Marina Yue Zhang, “Chinese Tech Dominance More Myth than Reality”, East Asia Forum (online) <eastasiaforum.org> (21 April 2023)
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.