The death sentence handed to Yang Hengjun, an Australian citizen and pro-democracy activist, by a Beijing court has naturally focused attention on what the verdict means for bilateral ties with Canberra. A more interesting question, however, might set the lens wider, and ask what message the verdict on Monday was designed to send, not just to Australia, but to anyone at home or abroad critical of China’s ruling Communist party. The answer to that question lies in the serious charge of espionage that was levelled against Yang, and the rising…
Tag: Australian foreign policy
China and the US are playing nice for now but flashpoints remain. They must agree to peace | Bob Carr and Gareth Evans
The environment in the Asia-Pacific is less alarming than it was a year ago. Washington and Beijing are talking again. So are Canberra and Beijing. The United States is focused, externally, on the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war and, internally, on this year’s presidential election. China is preoccupied with stabilising and energising its domestic economy. For now Beijing has largely silenced its diplomatic wolf warriors, Washington has been less accusatory and neither side seems in the mood to escalate tensions – over Taiwan, trade or anything else. But none…
BoM forecasts category three storm – as it happened
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"65a9f5d48f0819b86aad88ab","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Felim Hanniffy has given an update on the cyclone building off the coast of Queensland. ","elementId":"368c5292-28dd-4f7f-af06-a1cc1ca01ac2"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Hanniffy said the storm is expected to intensify into a “serious tropical cyclone”, of at least category three. It could cross the Queensland coast at that size, he said. ","elementId":"9a886f07-0445-4d68-9ffa-6dca678520cf"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" “The atmosphere is certainly conducive for significant tropical cyclone development in the Coral Sea,” he said. ","elementId":"cf6d6b33-ce95-4cce-8df7-88163007b973"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" “I think the bottom line is for next week there’s a high chance of tropical cyclone development…
China lodges protests at Australia’s response to Taiwan’s presidential election
China has lodged diplomatic protests with Australia for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election, with the Chinese ambassador warning there is “no room at all” for compromise on the “sensitive” issue. China’s top envoy in Australia, Xiao Qian, also dashed hopes that the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun might be released from custody in a similar manner to the Australian journalist Cheng Lei last year. The ambassador further denied that a Chinese warship had subjected Australian naval divers to dangerous sonar pulses in an incident in Japan’s exclusive economic…
News live: Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea, Farrell says
From 5h ago Sarah Basford Canales Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea Earlier this morning, trade minister Don Farrell left open the possibility Australia could deploy navy vessels to the Red Sea amid ongoing attacks against commercial shipping from Iran-backed militia. This week the US asked Australia to send a warship to the region as part of its duties as a member of the international naval security taskforce, the combined maritime forces. It comes as the Yemen-based and Iran-backed Houthis warned…
Australia and Philippines begin joint patrols in South China Sea as regional tensions rise
Australia and the Philippines have begun joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China. The three-day exercises follow discussions earlier this year on joint patrols to underscore what the countries say is their commitment to closer cooperation and a rules-based order in the region. It also comes days after Manila took similar steps with the US, concluding patrols that started in waters near Taiwan. Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, said the inaugural patrols represent the practical implementation of the…
Tibet’s government-in-exile urges Australia not to ‘compromise’ on China’s human rights record
Australia must not compromise on human rights as it improves its relationship with China because “the truth must be told”, a minister from the Tibetan government in exile has said during a visit to Canberra. Norzin Dolma, a minister of the Central Tibetan Administration based in Dharamshala in India, met Australian MPs from across the political spectrum on Thursday to warn against a “quiet diplomacy” approach to “gross human rights abuses” and “brutal suppression” in Tibet. She also urged the Australian government to use its new Magnitsky-style sanctions laws to…
Australia news live: migrant visa bill passes parliament with Coalition clauses; Optus chief to front Senate hearing
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"6556755c8f08d1d922ef85c8","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Good morning, I’m Jordyn Beazley and I’ll be taking you through our rolling live news coverage today. ","elementId":"89be12ee-dde1-4533-8939-b462addf3acb"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" As always, if you see anything that needs our attention please email me at jordyn.beazley@theguardian.com. ","elementId":"0102a44f-6ac6-44e9-8023-96bf80626b1e"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1700164956000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"15.02 EST","blockLastUpdated":1700165337000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"15.08 EST","blockFirstPublished":1700165065000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"15.04 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"15.04","title":"Hello","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Thu 16 Nov 2023 15.58 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Thu 16 Nov 2023 14.30 EST"},{"id":"6556702c8f088603929f3693","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" A volunteer firefighter has been killed after being struck by a falling tree in northern NSW, Australian Associated Press reports. ","elementId":"f7eb674a-b14c-4f8f-b1f2-a1f44c3862cc"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The man was killed while battling the Hudson fire near Walgett yesterday afternoon. Rural Fire Service members…
When Albanese met Xi – inside the diplomatic reset with China – podcast
Last week Anthony Albanese embarked on the first trip to China by an Australian prime minister since 2016, meeting with China’s president, Xi Jinping. This moment signals a diplomatic reset between Australia and China after years of turmoil. Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to Guardian Australia’s political editor Katharine Murphy about her first-hand view of the historic trip and how it serves both Australian and Chinese interests How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know The Guardian
Albanese has threaded a needle between the US and China. Now he needs to do the same on Israel-Hamas at home | Katharine Murphy
It’s been a high octane few weeks for the Albanese government when it comes to managing complexity on the global stage. We’ll get to keeping the US engaged in the region, rapprochement in China, and managing climate change and security in the Pacific, shortly. But we need to start our story in Sydney, just over a month ago, at an event that felt like a high-water mark in the relationship between Australia’s federal government and the Islamic community. On 6 October, Anthony Albanese visited the Lakemba Mosque. The prime minister,…