Daniel Andrews

2020 AUG 13 Melbourne, Elderly people infected with COVID-19, Hospital does not want them, say relatives

August 13, 2020Watchman Leave a Comment

Elderly people infected with COVID-19 are arriving at Melbourne hospitals, being refused treatment and sent back to their aged care home in a move devastating families.

One nursing home, Jewish Care in Windsor, had two residents turned away from hospitals in one day, including one who was refused admission at both The Alfred Aged Care and Cabrini Health.

NO EXCUSE ACCEPTABLE – MELBOURNE

Another Facility – the Glenlyn Aged Care in Glenroy – told the families of residents that Royal Melbourne Hospital “would not be accepting (residents) and they were to remain at the facility and be placed on end of life care and/or be sedated if they were wandering”.

“Please know that we have tried our utmost best to transfer the residents who we cannot isolate to the hospital but, to put it simply, the hospital does not want them,” management at Glenlyn, which is home to residents with high-care needs, told families.

Go Away & Die Pure Abuse of the Vulnerable

The Australian on Tuesday revealed aged care home residents, some in their 40’s, were being sedated instead of hospitalised or moved to another facility where they could be kept in isolation.

But Victorian health authorities are also refusing to hospitalise coronavirus-infected elderly people from aged care homes — even without clinical needs like dementia.

On August 3, Jewish Care transported one resident with COVID-19 to The Alfred but that person was refused admission and sent back to the aged care home. Another resident was sent to two hospitals and turned away at both.

“The family of the resident wanted their loved one to go to hospital but she was refused admission at both the Alfred Aged Care and Cabrini Health,” Jewish Care’s community general manager, Vanessa Cohen, wrote in correspondence seen by The Australian.

“As an Australian Citizen, I am completely dismayed to Witness First-hand the Devastating Situation in our Public Health System.”

Vanessa Cohen

Since that time, one Jewish Care resident has died, 17 staff have contracted the virus. The Windsor facility has 26 residents with coronavirus who are understood to be still in the aged care home and not in hospital.

There are now 1932 active cases relating to aged care facilities in Victoria, one-quarter of the total number. There were 16 deaths linked to known outbreaks at aged care centres — out of 21 — recorded on Wednesday.

The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on Tuesday and did not respond to requests for details about the latest hospital refusals on Wednesday.

DOES THE WORD “LIAR” RESONATE

But Daniel Andrews has denied aged care residents are being denied hospital treatments.

“Transfers to hospitals, the notion that people are being refused is not the advice I have,” the Victorian Premier said.

“There are some in this industry that would no longer like to have all of their residents under their roof, that would be easier perhaps.”

Mr Andrews said 476 aged care residents had been transferred to hospital. “The mere fact that the number of residents who are being transferred to hospitals continues to grow each day would indicate to me that our clinical staff are making very difficult judgments based on clinical needs and based on the circumstance of that particular resident,” he said.

But Robert Hoffman, a doctor who works in aged care homes, said hospitals had previously been quick to take patients.

“The response from the Royal Melbourne Hospital was fast and effective and 20 residents were transferred to public and private hospitals across Melbourne. This was because they were unwell or were unable to be isolated due to dementia,” he said. “Now in level four lockdown the public health response is the opposite.”

Glenlyn, in its note to family members, said it had “pleaded with DHHS, the Victorian Public Health Unit, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission” for help but had been told that hospitals “did not have enough beds”.

EUTHANASIA?

Instead the aged care centre, which has 23 residents and six staff test positive for COVID-19, was advised to either sedate those infected if they have dementia and are at risk of wandering, or put them on end-of-life medication.

THE PRACTICE OF SEDATION IS CONTROVERSIAL.

An Aged Care Clinical Advisory Committee paper, part of a federal ministerial submission provided to the aged care royal commission last year, concluded there was “clearly a problem with the overuse of anti-psychotic medications and benzodiazepines in (residential aged care)”.

Jewish Care declined to comment.

Original Source: Date-stamped: 2020 AUG 13 | Time-stamped: 7:23AM | Author: Sharri Markson | Article Title: ‘Hospital does not want them’ | Article Link: theaustralian.com.au

2020 MAY 21 Australia’s State of Victoria Pushing Ahead with Belt and Road Plans, Despite Canberra’s Objections

May 24, 2020Watchman Leave a Comment

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT vs. VIC STATE GOVERNMENT

Victoria plans to sign agreements for investment under China’s Belt and Road Initiative within weeks, as Beijing ramps up trade tensions with Australia
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton asked the state government to justify taking part in a ‘propaganda exercise’ for Beijing

An Australian state is continuing with its plans to participate in China’s signature infrastructure drive regardless of opposition from Canberra, amid growing divisions between state and federal leaders over how to handle relations with Beijing.

Victoria’s bid to sign a road map for investment under China’s Belt and Road Initiative within weeks comes as state and national government figures clash over Canberra’s handling of escalating trade tensions with Beijing.

Beijing earlier this month restricted beef imports and slapped an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley, in moves widely seen as retaliation for Australia’s push for an independent international inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.

VIC STATE GOVERNMENT & BEIJING PROPAGANDA EXERCISE

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Thursday called on the Victorian government, led by the opposition centre-left Labor Party, to justify taking part in a “propaganda exercise” for Beijing.

“This is gravely concerning, and Victoria needs to explain why it is really the only state in the country that has entered into this relationship,” Dutton said.

The remarks came after Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas accused the federal government, led by the centre-right Liberal Party, of “vilifying” China, suggesting its push for an inquiry had led Beijing to retaliate against Australian exporters.

Pallas’ comments drew condemnation from government MPs for “parroting” Beijing, as well as resistance from even some federal members of his own Labor Party.
Although the trade measures are widely seen as punishment for the inquiry, Canberra has refrained from directly linking the two issues and insisted they be resolved separately.

Beijing has denied any link, insisting the measures were introduced in response to quarantine and inspection violations and unfair trade practices.

On Wednesday, Victorian government and opposition MPs clashed over the infrastructure initiative after state Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan refused to answer questions on whether A$24 billion (US$15 billion) in new spending to deal with the pandemic would include funds borrowed from China.

Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Victorian government was “undermining a bipartisan position” on the belt and road strategy and stepping beyond its authority into the realm of foreign affairs.

“The focus of state politicians tends only to be on investment and trade and they have little conception of the downside risks of engagement with the People’s Republic of China,” Jennings said.

SECURITY CLEARANCES & NATIONAL SECURITY

“Very few state officials have security clearances or the need to access information from our intelligence agencies and the national security establishment. The result is state and territory governments tend to be incredibly naive when it comes to dealing with the PRC.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who has made six trips to China as state leader, signed up to join Beijing’s US$1.4 trillion infrastructure drive in October 2018, hailing it as an “Australian first” that would lead to “more trade and more Victorian jobs and an even stronger relationship with China”. Both sides agreed to work out specific investment details by the middle of this year.

Victoria, home to Australia’s second biggest city Melbourne, sold A$10 billion (US$6.5 billion) worth of exports to China in 2018, more than to any other country, and received more than a quarter of Chinese investment into the country.

AUSTRALIAN & PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister Scott Morrison rebuked the premier at the time for not properly consulting the federal government, which under the constitution is tasked with managing foreign affairs.

Beijing’s initiative, which envisages the creation of a new “Silk Road” linking China to Europe, Asia and Africa, has been viewed with suspicion in Canberra amid concerns about its strategic ambitions for the region and allegations of Chinese meddling in domestic politics.

NATIONAL SECURITY PERSPECTIVE

Nick Bisley, a professor of international relations at La Trobe University in Melbourne, said state leaders lacked a “national security perspective” on China and were likely to see even greater need to court new investment due to the trade dispute at the national level.

“These tensions are certainly making states feel as if the government’s focus on the strategic risk of China is putting economic welfare in some states under threat, and as such they are likely to try to do what they can to improve economic ties,” said Bisley. “Given how dire the economic consequences of COVID are likely to be, there will be added incentive to do so.”

PAROCHIAL POINT OF VIEW

Pradeep Taneja, a lecturer in Chinese politics and international relations at the University of Melbourne, said the Victorian premier saw ties with China from the “parochial point of view” of investment opportunities in part because the state was on a major infrastructure drive, including an expansion of Melbourne’s rail network.

But Taneja said there would be limits to Chinese involvement in projects in the state as the federal government retained a veto over large international investment.

“Premier Andrews knows that – that he’s unlikely to get any major investment from China,” Taneja said, explaining that the state leader hoped to send the message that Victoria was open to trade. “It’s not just about investment, it’s also about the trade relationship.”

The Victorian government was contacted for comment.

VIDEO: (In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled an ambitious plan for economic integration on a global scale. What became known as the Belt and Road Initiative has seen at least 68 countries and international organisations sign trade and infrastructure deals with China. Beijing says the initiative will benefit the whole world and lift millions out of poverty. But critics, including the US and several major European countries, fear China’s real motive is to gain more power and influence on the world stage.)

Original Source: Date-stamped: 2020 MAY 21 | Time-stamped: 6:01 pm | Author: John Power | Article Title: Australia’s state of Victoria pushing ahead with belt and road plans, despite Canberra’s objections | Article Link: scmp.com

Hashtags: #4cminewswire, #PeterDutton, #TimPallas, #DanielAndrews, #ScottMorrison, #China, #Beijing, #XiJinping, #4cminews, #4CMiTV, #4CM2020MAY21,

Tags: 4cminewswire, Peter Dutton, Tim Pallas, Daniel Andrews, Scott Morrison, China, Beijing, Xi Jinping, 4cminews, 4CMiTV, #4CM2020MAY21,

2019 OCT 25 Victoria Deepens Engagement with Beijing’s Controversial Belt and Road Initiative

May 24, 2020Watchman Leave a Comment

Whenever Premier Daniel Andrews is attacked over his cosy relationship with China, he says the deal is in the interest of the state’s economy.(Twitter: Lisa Tucker)

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has signed a new deal with the Chinese Government to deepen the state’s engagement with the controversial Belt and Road initiative.

The deal has angered some in the Morrison Government who are worried about Chinese influence in Australia, but the Premier, who is a frequent visitor to China, says the deal is designed to boost the Victorian economy and jobs.

SO, WHAT IS THIS NEW DEAL?

It’s technically a non-legally binding agreement for Victoria to be involved in the Belt and Road project; the Silk Road for the 21st century that includes new ports, highways and railways across the globe.

It is essentially a commitment by Victoria to work together with Beijing on future projects for the benefit of both parties.

Mr Andrews will co-chair a group that will meet half yearly.

A big part is for Victorian infrastructure experts to get access to the hundreds of billions of dollars of projects slated for the Belt and Road.

But it also encourages Chinese infrastructure firms to establish a presence in VICTORIA AND TO BID FOR MAJOR PROJECTS.

($16 billion North-East Link) BE SURE THE MONEY AND THE WORK IS DONE BY CHINA AND CHINESE WORK FORCES NOTHING BUT CRUMBS FLOW BACK TO AUSTRALIANS OR AUSTRALIA

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Two Chinese firms are part of bids for the $16 billion North-East Link.

Some critics have accused Mr Andrews of hypocrisy after he introduced laws ensuring local procurement for all government projects.

WHAT WILL VICTORIA GET OUT OF IT?

Foreign policy doesn’t usually fall under the jurisdiction of state governments, but essentially it will mean a bigger market to sell wine, beef and lamb, as well as an opportunity for Victorian institutions to teach future Chinese doctors.

International education is already the state’s biggest export.

Voicing public support for a major Chinese foreign policy initiative is likely to ease the way for Chinese companies to get approval from Beijing to make investments in Victoria, and for Victorian-based companies to sell to China.

For example, the partial granting in April of a licence for Bellamy’s infant formula to sell Chinese-labelled product after years of delay came just days before a visit by Mr Andrews to Beijing for a Belt and Road forum.

But was that a coincidence? Whenever Mr Andrews is attacked over his cosy relationship with China, he says the deal is in the interest of the state’s economy.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR CHINA?

For Beijing, it’s all about politics.

China’s cashed-up state-owned and private companies don’t need much encouragement to look for investment opportunities abroad — political leaders from across the globe come to Beijing on a near-daily basis asking for Chinese funding.

Having already been stung by a few unviable infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Chinese companies would likely weigh up the merits of Victorian deals rather than splash cash recklessly.

The real value for China is diplomatic.

Belt and Road is designed to help maintain economic growth in China through Chinese companies using Chinese materials and sometimes Chinese labour to build infrastructure in other countries, usually developing nations.

But it is also designed to grow China’s clout abroad by making countries economically dependent on Beijing, and has been written into the Communist Party’s constitution as a sign of its importance.

This political imperative partly explains the Federal Government’s refusal to formally sign Australia up.

So China’s Government is thrilled it can bypass Canberra by doing deals directly with a state government — and hopes more deals with other states could pressure the Federal Government to change its policy in future.

It would be unthinkable for a Chinese province to break ranks with Beijing on a major foreign policy issue like Victoria is doing, which also helps to explain the frustration of the Morrison Government having its diplomacy undermined.

WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL?

THIS ACTION IS DIVISIVE, & A THREAT TO AU NATIONAL SECURITY

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Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has led criticism of the Victorian deal with China, questioning why the Premier believes the decision is in the national interest.

“It’s a decision that’s been made by Mr Andrews, so he can justify the decision. I haven’t heard the rationale or the reasoning behind what seemed to be a pretty rushed decision,” Mr Dutton said.

Jane Golley from the ANU’s Australian Centre on China in the World said the Premier was making a pragmatic decision based mainly on the economic benefits for Victoria.

She warned simple rhetoric against the deal from Canberra politicians was a bigger concern because it sent a signal to Beijing that Australia was closed for business.

Associate Professor Golley said engagement was the most pressing national issue but how to deal with it needed to rise “beyond partisan squabbling”.

“It is not a black and white proposition,” she said.

Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said he was concerned the agreement was one-sided, in China’s favour.

He pointed to the part of the agreement which said the aim was to “increase participation of Chinese infrastructure companies in Victoria” compared to “promoting the cooperation of Victorian firms in China”.

Mr O’Brien said he was concerned the agreement would give Chinese companies a head start on Victorian jobs.

“I am all for trade, economic partnerships and attracting investment to Victoria but I am also for a level playing field,” he said.

A PREMIER WITH THE MORAL CONSCIENCE THE SIZE OF AN ANT!

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But what about China’s human rights record?

ABC’s Four Corner’s program exposed how China was creating the world’s largest prison, with millions of citizens being held in detention.

But the Premier insists China is an important trading partner and Victorian jobs will benefit.

The Premier has also encouraged other state governments and the Federal Government to follow suit.

“We’d always hope that the Federal Government would have a similar approach to us to work closely with China for the benefit of Victorian workers …” he said.

“I think most Australians would say that was good … we need a strong partnership … and we would hope that every state and territory, and indeed the Commonwealth, would have a strong partnership and friendship with China.”

Original Source: Date-stamped: 2019 OCT 25 | Author: Richard Willingham & Bill Birtles | Article Title: Victoria Deepens Engagement With Beijing'S Controversial Belt And Road Initiative | Article Link: abc.net.au

Hashtags: #4cminewswire, #BRI, #XiJinping, #China, #DanielAndrews, #Uighurs, #Kazakhs, #Kyrgyzs, #4cminews, #4CM2019OCT25

Tags: 4cminewswire, BRI, Xi Jinping, China, Daniel Andrews, Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, 4cminews, #4CM2019OCT25

2020 MAY 22 Australia: Victoria’s Belt And Road Initiative Deal Undermines Cohesive National China Policy

May 22, 2020Watchman Leave a Comment

ZOMBIE PROJECT? needs to be rethought

The Victorian government’s Belt and Road Initiative program is a zombie project that has its own inertia and is proceeding despite the world changing around it. It needs to be halted and comprehensively reassessed. The federal government institutions that understand foreign policy, national security and digital technology must be involved actively and comprehensively in that reassessment.

The core rationale for a state government being a party to this initiative of Beijing’s also needs to be rethought in light of the world we are now living in.

If it’s about cheap financing, the COVID-19 environment means money is as cheap for governments to borrow as it has ever been, so that reason doesn’t make much sense.

If it’s about giving Chinese firms work, there are plenty of Australian companies that are at least as qualified and available to undertake infrastructure projects.

If it’s about using Chinese digital technology in our infrastructure, that’s probably just a bad idea.

VICTORIA’S BIG BUILD

Premier Daniel Andrews has been personally pursuing Chinese involvement in Victoria’s multi-billion-dollar ‘Big Build’ since at least his May 2018 visit to China. In October of that year, he signed up to the Belt and Road Initiative in a memorandum of understanding with Beijing. He refused to make the agreement public, only doing so after intense pressure during the last Victorian election campaign.

Then in October last year, Andrews signed a ‘framework agreement’ with the People’s Republic of China on ‘Jointly Promoting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road’. The title is boilerplate Chinese government language for the BRI, Xi Jinping’s strategy for growing Chinese power and creating a Sino-centred world.

That document was made public, which is great, because it has some clear principles. It commits China and Victoria to adhere to ‘the concept of openness, green and clean governance’ as well as ‘highlighting the importance of procedure [which is] open, transparent and non-discriminatory’.

So, it’s surprising to find that as the Victorian government prepares to sign up Chinese entities—perhaps banks, perhaps state-owned or private construction companies, perhaps a combination of these—for actual projects in Victoria, no one can be told any of the details.

BIG PROBLEMS

There are two bigger problems here, though. The Victorian government’s BRI activities are simply out of step with the new international and economic environment, including the now openly coercive directions that Beijing is taking with Canberra over trade and in government relations.

And the Victorian political leadership’s championing of the state’s tie-up with Beijing on infrastructure is a glaring wedge that Beijing is driving into Australia—at a time when national cohesion on dealing with the Chinese state is essential.

Almost as bad has been the language used by Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, who accused the federal government of ‘vilifying’ China—when what Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne had actually done and said was call for a credible, independent, international inquiry into the causes of a global pandemic. In very calm language. They have since gained the support of more than 120 nations.

Unfortunately, the treasurer’s words sounded like talking points from Beijing’s foreign ministry or an article in the Chinese Communist Party’s Global Times mouthpiece.

The result is that we appear headed for an outcome in Victoria where Chinese firms are involved in building chunks of national infrastructure, perhaps with tie-ups to Chinese state banks and other entities—who knows.

INFRASTRUCTURE & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY 5G

So what? Infrastructure isn’t just concrete and steel now. It’s laced with digital technology controlling its critical functions. The 2018 federal decision on 5G was all about the risks in digital technology from states like China that compel companies to cooperate for state security and intelligence purposes. Those issues are relevant here too.

What Victoria is proposing has foreign policy and national security implications that the Victorian government is simply unequipped to assess.

From the beginning, the BRI program with Victoria appears to have fallen into gaps between the federal and state governments. Right at the start, the Victorians said they had consulted at the federal level with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but Canberra seemed only partly aware of the proposal and expressed what sounded like lukewarm public support.

CHINA-CENTRED WORLD

That was then. Who now thinks it’s the time to implement Xi’s strategic agenda and work to make Australia part of a more China-centred world? Who now thinks it’s the time to enter non-public arrangements with Chinese firms—state-owned or otherwise—to build Australian infrastructure? And who now thinks it’s the right time to show that the federal and state levels of government are on divergent paths in responding to an assertive and authoritarian Beijing?

Victoria’s tender process must not be used to hinder transparency with the proposed deal. This is not a standard arrangement between a government and the private sector. This is an Australian state dealing with an authoritarian superpower that is pursuing its key strategic agenda—and using its companies, banks and technologies to do so.

NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, NATIONAL SECURITY APPLICATIONS, and IMPLICATIONS

There’s more to the Victorian BRI deal than infrastructure. The agreements talk about cooperation on biotechnology and life sciences, research and high-end manufacturing—all areas that also have important national security applications and implications. Again, this must all be reassessed from a national perspective.

If the national cabinet has any purposes other than helping us all manage the COVID-19 pandemic, a fundamental one must be forging a cohesive and united national policy on China. This is needed to help us navigate the increasingly sharp strategic differences between Australia and the Chinese state, while keeping the areas in which we can continue to trade and cooperate to both our national advantages. To have any meaning, that national cohesion must extend to any deals contemplated by individual states and territories.

Unlike the excuses we heard after the disastrously managed 2015 Port of Darwin deal, which led to that piece of key infrastructure being leased to a Chinese company for 99 years, we have our eyes wide open about the issues involved this time. And we have time to stop and think. Let’s do so.

Original Source: Date-stamped: 2020 MAY 22 | Author: Michael Shoebridge | Article Title: Australia: Victoria’s Belt And Road Initiative Deal Undermines Cohesive National China Policy | Article Link: aspistrategist.org.au

Hashtags: #4cminewswire, #Australia, #ForeignPolicy, #NationalPerspective, #NationalSecurity, #DanielAndrews, #ScottMorrison, #China, #Beijing, #XiJinping, #4cminews, #4CMiTV, #4CM2020MAY22,

Tags: 4cminewswire, Australia, Foreign Policy, National Perspective, National Security, Daniel Andrews, Scott Morrison, China, Beijing, Xi Jinping, 4cminews, 4CMiTV, #4CM2020MAY22,

2019 OCT 30 Australian Perspectives On The Belt And Road Initiative

October 30, 2019Watchman Leave a Comment

Around 130 countries have reportedly signed agreements with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in some capacity on engagement with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since its launch by President Xi Jinping in 2013. Thirty-seven world leaders were in attendance at Beijing’s second Belt and Road Forum this year, up from 29 last year.

The BRI is largely touted as an infrastructure development initiative by the PRC, described by President Xi as ‘a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence’.^[1]‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era: Xi’, Xinhua, October 18 2019 SEE URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-10/18/c_136688475.htm But this is merely one aspect of an initiative that is in reality shaping up to be a multi-pronged and ambitious geostrategic framework for PRC foreign policy. A useful conceptualisation is put forth by former China correspondent for The Australian, Rowan Callick, who described the BRI thusly: ‘[T]he PRC is transitioning towards becoming a pervasive global player, with Xi’s signature Belt and Road Initiative – wrapping itself now not merely around the Silk Road from Asia to Europe but around the globe – at the core.’^[2]Rowan Callick, ‘The China Challenge’, CIS Occasional Paper 171, Centre for Independent Studies, July 2019, p 2.

Exactly what the BRI’s scope is has been fodder for much discussion. For example, on July 8, PRC Defence Minister Wei Fenghe told a meeting of senior defence officials from South Pacific and Caribbean countries that the PRC would be ‘willing to deepen military exchanges and cooperation’ under the auspices of the BRI.^[3]‘China to deepen military cooperation with Caribbean countries, Pacific island countries: defense minister’, Xinhua, July 8 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading This seemed to be public confirmation from a senior government representative of a military dimension to the BRI, which would belie the PRC’s stated intentions about the nature of the initiative. How significant a development this is remains unclear, but nonetheless adds to the uncertainty around the BRI.

The PRC continues to court countries to participate in the BRI, focusing particularly on countries of geostrategic significance. But while deals have been inked on numerous BRI projects, many have yet to materialise. The BRI is also the subject of structural concerns, particularly around transparency, governance and debt, which has diminished some countries’ appetite to engage with the initiative, including Australia. This has compelled the PRC to acknowledge, and pledge to address, some of these issues.^[4]Alfred Romann, ‘Who will benefit from China’s Belt and Road Initiative?’, Al Jazeera, April 28 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Chief amongst countries vocally agitating against the BRI has been the US, with senior officials criticising the initiative in set piece speeches and engaging in attempts to recruit other countries in coordinated pushback against the PRC. This has yielded mixed results. For example, a reported attempt by the US State Department in April to persuade 12 diplomats from allied nations to sign a joint statement criticising the BRI was met with refusal.^[5]Noah Barkin, ‘The US is losing Europe in its battle with China’, The Atlantic, June 4 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading The US has, however, joined with Australia and Japan to establish a trilateral infrastructure financing fund to provide an alternative, of sorts, to the BRI.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Sydney for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) summit in August called for a ‘determined effort’ between Australia and the US to ‘band together’ on the PRC, nominating the BRI as a key security challenge for both countries:^[6]Brad Norington and Cameron Stewart, ‘US call for help battling China’, The Australian, August 5 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

The time is right because the challenge China presents to us in the region is upon us, whether that is the militarisation of the South China Sea or their Belt and Road Initiative.

Mike Pompeo

Australia, for its part, has thus far refrained from following the lead of the US in its public characterisation of the BRI and abstained from joining a campaign of overt pushback, opting to characterise itself as ‘neutral’ on the initiative.^[7]‘Scott Morrison gives his final 7.30 interview of the 2019 campaign’, transcript, May 16 2019 SEE URL: https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/scott-morrison-gives-his-final-7.30-interview-of/11121856 Australia has expressed notional support for the developmental aspects of the BRI and what it can contribute to the region, but has at the same time expressed reservations, along the lines of the structural concerns noted above. It has furthermore sought to counterweight the BRI through its commitment to a ‘Pacific step up’ (with initiatives such as the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility) and support for the Quad, an informal strategic dialogue with the US, Japan and India.

It is unlikely that Australia will move away with any haste from its current position on the BRI at the federal government level, which is to consider BRI-umbrella projects on a case-by-case basis instead of formally ‘signing up’ to the initiative. This position was most recently reiterated by Foreign Minister Marise Payne in June.^[8]Nathan Hondros, ‘Why WA is China’s next target in its controversial Belt and Road scheme’, WAtoday, June 12 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading Moreover, the uncertainty with which the BRI is viewed by influential quarters of government was reinforced by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton earlier this month.^[9]Ben Doherty and Melissa Davey, ‘Peter Dutton: China accuses home affairs minister of ‘shocking’ and ‘malicious’ slur’, The Guardian, October 12 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

While most Australian state and territory governments, such as New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, have opted to leave the formulation of policy on the BRI solely within the purview of the federal government, there is not as yet complete unanimity on this front. Victoria is currently the most prominent exception, having signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on the BRI, and the Northern Territory has spoken welcomingly of the initiative in recent years.

Australian businesses, free to pursue BRI projects in their own right, continue to express some enthusiasm for more formalised engagement with the initiative by the Australian government, although arguably seem more circumspect about this than in the past.

This fact sheet lays out recent perspectives on the BRI in Australia at the federal and state government levels and in the business sphere.

For more background on the BRI and Australia, refer to the author’s December 2017 briefing ‘Australia and the Belt and Road Initiative: An overview’.^[10]Elena Collinson, ‘Australia and the Belt and Road Initiative: An overview’, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney, December 5 2017 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Federal Government

The Australian government has been at pains to ensure a careful, moderate public tone on the BRI is generally adhered to, continuing on policy articulated under the Turnbull government. However, comments by the Home Affairs Minister earlier this month provide an indication of how the BRI is being discussed in Canberra.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in an interview going into the federal election in May clearly laid out the Australian government’s position on the BRI:^[11]‘Scott Morrison gives his final 7.30 interview of the 2019 campaign’, transcript, May 16 2019 SEE URL: https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/scott-morrison-gives-his-final-7.30-interview-of/11121856

We have a neutral position on that. We don’t sign up to it. We don’t participate in it – that’s the position of the Australian government.

Scott Morrison

The Prime Minister went on to repeat government support for business engagement with the BRI:

There are individual Australian companies, though, who do participate in that and we seek to facilitate that as well and have no issues with that. It’s good for Australian companies, it’s good for Australian jobs.

Scott Morrison

The potential for positive contributions to regional development by the BRI are also acknowledged when discussing the initiative. Ahead of his attendance at the G20 in Japan, the Prime Minister said:^[12]Scott Morrison, ‘Where we live’, speech, Asialink, Sydney, June 26 2019 SEE URL: https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/stories/australia-and-the-indo-pacific-an-address-by-prime-minister-scott-morrison

Australia welcomes the contribution that the Belt and Road Initiative can make to regional infrastructure investment and to regional development.

Scott Morrison

But at the same time, concerns around the current iteration of the BRI are not shied away from, with threshold standards important to Australia consistently made clear. The Prime Minister had told Caixin magazine in November last year that Australia was ‘keen to strengthen engagement with China in regional trade and infrastructure developments that align with international standards of governance and transparency.’^[13]Li Xin and Ke Dawei, ‘Exclusive: Australia’s Prime Minister says China not targeted by investment restrictions’, Caixin, October 9 2018 SEE URL: … Continue reading

This was reinforced by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Frances Adamson, who, during a visit to Beijing to represent Australia at the second Belt and Road Forum, in a speech on April 25 said:^[14]Frances Adamson, Remarks at Australia-China reception, Ambassador’s residence, Beijing, April 25 2019 SEE URL: https://china.embassy.gov.au/bjng/Speech190425.html

Australia’s participation reflects our preparedness to engage in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Frances Adamson

…

Australia wants to strengthen engagement with China on projects that align with international standards of governance, transparency and debt sustainability.

The Australian government also continues to maintain that it will assess participation in BRI projects on a ‘case-by-case basis’, a stance reiterated by the Foreign Minister in June:^[15]Nathan Hondros, ‘Why WA is China’s next target in its controversial Belt and Road scheme’, WA Today, June 12 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Australia is prepared to consider Belt and Road projects on a case-by-case basis according to their individual merits.

Marise Payne

The BRI has not factored into much public discussion by the government this year, but on October 11 Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, in some of the strongest public language on the PRC used by a senior minister yet, stated that a ‘frank conversation’ needed to be had about the PRC, nominating the BRI as one of several key issues. This was noted within the following context:^[16]Ben Doherty and Melissa Davey, ‘Peter Dutton: China accuses home affairs minister of ‘shocking’ and ‘malicious’ slur’, The Guardian, October 12 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

My issue is with the Communist Party of China and their policies to the extent that they’re inconsistent with our own values.

Peter Dutton

The Prime Minister sought to soften the rough edges of these remarks, but did not fully contradict them.^[17]Ibid.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP), despite having expressed some openness to the BRI in years previous, has been largely silent on their positioning this year.

By contrast, former prime minister and leader of the ALP, Kevin Rudd, in an opinion piece laying out a suggested blueprint for a national China strategy published on September 6 wrote:^[18]Kevin Rudd, ‘Let’s cool it on the anti-China hysteria’, The Sydney Morning Herald, September 6 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

There are…areas where it may be difficult to work constructively with Beijing, but where it’s possible to do so. We could engage our Chinese friends on the future the Belt and Road Initiative, as opposed to simply demonising it as the definition of all ideological evil.

Kevin Rudd

He had expounded on this notion during a previous speech in August saying:^[19]Kevin Rudd, ‘The complacent country: Alternative visions for Australia’s future in the region and the world’, speech, Australian National University, Canberra, August 28 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

I often say to our American allies on the BRI: where’s your cash to match it? China is prepared to put somewhere between one and three trillion dollars on the table.

Kevin Rudd

State and Territory Governments

While most state and territory governments, such as New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, have opted to refrain from formal engagement with the BRI, leaving it to the federal government to chart a course in that area – a course of action preferred by the federal government – there is not complete unity on this front. Victoria has opted to effectively go it alone, signing two MoUs with the PRC, while the Northern Territory continues to speak highly welcomingly of the initiative.

Queensland

Queensland under Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk emphatically ruled out formal participation by the state in the BRI. The Premier said on November 12 2018:^[20]Jared Owens, ‘Annastacia Palaszcuk weighs in on Victorian government’s controversial China Belt and Road Initiative deal’, The Australian, November 12 2018 SEE URL: … Continue reading

I firmly believe that issues in relation to One Belt One Road and the relationships between China and the Australian government should be at the (national) government-to-government level.

Annastacia Palaszczuk

New South Wales (NSW)

NSW under Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian also ruled out signing up to the BRI in November 2018, agreeing that ‘any commitment to infrastructure building on such a vast scale must remain in the hands of Canberra, not the states’.^[21]Brad Norington, ‘China’s Belt and Road a bad fit for states, says NSW’, The Australian, November 17 2018 SEE URL: … Continue reading The state government also confirmed that Beijing had not made any overtures to NSW regarding the BRI.

Western Australia

Despite initially showing some openness to engagement with the initiative, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan in June this year ruled out WA’s participation in the BRI:^[22]Nick Butterly, ‘WA Government won’t sign up to China’s Belt and Road initiative’, The West Australian, June 11 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

The BRI is not on our agenda and we won’t be signing up to this initiative.

Mark McGowan

The PRC had previously made approaches to WA terming the state and the PRC ‘natural partners’ and pressing the state to grasp the ‘historical opportunity presented’.^[23]Andrew Burrell, ‘Belt and Road an ideal fit for WA, says China’, The Australian, June 6 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory, under the leadership of ALP politician Michael Gunner, has exhibited some support for the BRI and the opportunities it might present for the territory.

The Chief Minister delivered the keynote address during the ‘One Belt One Road in Australia’ conference on July 10 2018, describing the Northern Territory as the ‘belt and road’s gateway into the markets and minds of Australia.’ He noted that Australia’s Developing the North Agenda and the BRI ‘work together’ and that there is ‘alignment’ between the two.^[24]Michael Gunner, keynote speech, One Belt One Road Conference, Darwin, July 10 2018 SEE URL: https://chiefminister.nt.gov.au/articles/population-conference2

This enthusiasm for the BRI was also expressed by the Chief Minister on October 14, when during a reception held in Darwin by the PRC Embassy in Australia to mark the 70th anniversary of the PRC, he said of BRI cooperation in an interview with PRC state media:^[25]‘Belt and Road Initiative can be win-win, says Australia’s Northern Territory chief minister’, Xinhua, October 15 2019 SEE URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/15/c_138471623.htm

I’d like to think of it as win-win. It’s how do we work together to develop common bonds or common economic opportunities.

Michael Gunner

Victoria

Victoria is a notable outlier in its determined pursuit of the BRI. The first state to ‘sign up’ to the BRI in principle via an MoU last year, Victoria recently inked an MoU setting out more specific areas of cooperation. In the normal vein of MoUs with the PRC, however, the text of this second MoU is still fairly vague and general.

On October 8 2018 Victorian ALP Premier Daniel Andrews and the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the PRC, the country’s economic planning authority, quietly signed an MoU signing Victoria up to the BRI in principle. It was later announced at a formal ceremony on October 25.

The federal government appeared to be caught off-guard by the deal, with the Prime Minister criticising the lack of consultation with the federal government.^[26]Scott Morrison, Doorstop – Kunda Park, QLD, transcript, November 6 2018 SEE URL: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/doorstop-kunda-park-qld The Foreign Minister, however, had adopted a different tone, stating that states and territories are ‘encouraged…to expand opportunities with China’.^[27]‘Foreign Minister Marise Payne to visit Beijing’, interview, ABC AM, November 6 2018 SEE URL: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/foreign-minister-marise-payne-to-visit-beijing/10468604

On October 23 this year it was announced that Victoria had signed a second MoU with the PRC on the BRI, nominating cooperation in infrastructure, innovation, aged care and trade development, with the creation of a joint working group to guide cooperation chaired by the Victorian Premier and a senior PRC government official.^[28]Office of the Victorian Premier, ‘Victoria and China take partnership to the next level’, media release, October 23 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

This time, the primary figure from the federal government to weigh in on the deal from the federal government was the Home Affairs Minister, who questioned the decision, asking:^[29]Noel Towell, ‘Andrews signs new belt-and-road deal with China: ‘the right thing to do’’, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 23 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Why does he believe this is in our national interest? Why does he believe it’s in Victoria’s interest?

I haven’t heard the rationale or the reasoning behind what seemed to be a pretty rushed decision.

Peter Dutton

The federal ALP, with the exception of vocalised support for the decision from former leader Bill Shorten, has thus far been silent on the decision.

Business

With a few exceptions, Australian businesses have seemed to veer away from a previously vocal push for the Australian government to move forward with the BRI.

Businessperson and former minister Warwick Smith, currently chair of the Australian government’s new National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, ‘believes Australia should sign up’ to the BRI’:^[30]Glenda Korporaal, ‘Heat on Australia’s Mr China’, The Australian, September 14 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

We should get some of the commercial opportunities from Xi Jinping’s grand vision to recreate the old Silk Road trade routes.

I don’t want Australia to be left behind.

Warwick Smith

This builds on his assessment in June that with respect to the BRI, Australia has ‘to do something a bit more formal’.^[31]Glenda Korporaal, ‘Australia ‘needs special envoys to court China’’, The Australian, June 1 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Australia-China Business Council president John Brumby expressed a similar view:^[32]Glenda Korporaal, ‘Business lobby backing China’s Belt and Road’, The Australian, June 27 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Australia needs a strategy to become part of the BRI if it wants to grow its economy.

John Brumby

Deloitte China BRI head Derek Lai in June said that Australia’s abstention from formal engagement with the BRI was having a discernible impact on Australian business, although conceded this analysis was difficult to quantify. He noted:^[33]Patrick Durkin, ‘China Belt and Road refusal hurting business’, The Australian Financial Review, June 12 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

If you sign the MoU there is a different perception by Chinese companies…

Derek Lai

Other members of the business community, whilst keenly exhibiting an interest in the BRI, are stopping short of advocating for the Australian government to ‘sign up’.

For example, the agriculture sector is concerned that if Australia ‘is not at the table, it will be on the menu’.^[34]Jenne Brammer, ‘Belt up for ride with China: Elders chief’, The West Australian, September 10 2019, p51. To this end, Agribusiness Australia in a report recommended that agribusiness seek opportunities to participate in the BRI. The report, however, while urging business participation, does not call on the federal government to reconsider its current BRI policy.^[35]Brad Thompson, ‘Grain growers the losers in China chill’, The Australian Financial Review, July 25 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Agribusiness Australia head and Elders boss Mark Allison said in October:^[36]Glenda Korporaal, ‘Elders call to get on board the BRI train’, The Australian, October 15 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

Whether we formally sign up for BRI or not doesn’t matter. That’s a political question. But from a business point of view, not being anti-BRI may be helpful.

Mark Allison

And Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines asserted earlier this year that that while ‘belt-road is an opportunity’, the company would leave ‘policy for the policymakers’.^[37]Brad Thompson, ‘Give China more credit, says Fortescue boss’, The Australian Financial Review, July 4 2019 SEE URL: … Continue reading

This fact sheet was prepared by Elena Collinson, Senior Project and Research Officer, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney.

Original Source: Date-stamped: 2019 OCT 30 | Author: by Elena Collinson Senior Project and Research Officer | Article Title: Australian Perspectives on The Belt and Road Initiative | Article Link: australiachinarelations.org

Hashtags: #4cminewswire, #BRI, #XiJinping, #China, #DanielAndrews, #MikePompeo, #PRC, #MarisePayne, #PeterDutton, #ScottMorrison, #FrancesAdamson, #KevinRudd, #AnnastaciaPalaszczuk, #GladysBerejiklian, #MarkMcGowan, #MichaelGunner, #BillShorten, #WarwickSmith, #JohnBrumby, #DerekLai, #MarkAllison, #ElizabethGaines, #4cminews, #4CM2019OCT30

Tags: 4cminewswire, BRI, Xi Jinping, China, Daniel Andrews, Mike Pompeo, PRC, Marise Payne, Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison, Frances Adamson, Kevin Rudd, Annastacia Palaszczuk, Gladys Berejiklian, Mark McGowan, Michael Gunner, Bill Shorten, Warwick Smith, John Brumby, Derek Lai, Mark Allison, Elizabeth Gaines, 4cminews, #4CM2019OCT30

References[+]

References
↑1	‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era: Xi’, Xinhua, October 18 2019 SEE URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-10/18/c_136688475.htm
↑2	Rowan Callick, ‘The China Challenge’, CIS Occasional Paper 171, Centre for Independent Studies, July 2019, p 2.
↑3	‘China to deepen military cooperation with Caribbean countries, Pacific island countries: defense minister’, Xinhua, July 8 2019 SEE URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/08/c_138209338.htm
↑4	Alfred Romann, ‘Who will benefit from China’s Belt and Road Initiative?’, Al Jazeera, April 28 2019 SEE URL: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/benefit-china-belt-road-initiative-190427131051786.html
↑5	Noah Barkin, ‘The US is losing Europe in its battle with China’, The Atlantic, June 4 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/06/united-states-needs-europe-against-china/590887/
↑6	Brad Norington and Cameron Stewart, ‘US call for help battling China’, The Australian, August 5 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/step-up-to-the-plate-on-china-says-pompeo/news-story/f5295e97f7b68ca01b15c53ff01de569
↑7	‘Scott Morrison gives his final 7.30 interview of the 2019 campaign’, transcript, May 16 2019 SEE URL: https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/scott-morrison-gives-his-final-7.30-interview-of/11121856
↑8	Nathan Hondros, ‘Why WA is China’s next target in its controversial Belt and Road scheme’, WAtoday, June 12 2019 SEE URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/why-wa-is-china-s-next-target-in-its-controversial-belt-and-road-scheme-20190611-p51wjg.html
↑9	Ben Doherty and Melissa Davey, ‘Peter Dutton: China accuses home affairs minister of ‘shocking’ and ‘malicious’ slur’, The Guardian, October 12 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/12/peter-dutton-accuses-china-of-stealing-intellectual-property-and-silencing-free-speech
↑10	Elena Collinson, ‘Australia and the Belt and Road Initiative: An overview’, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney, December 5 2017 SEE URL: https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/australia-and-belt-and-road-initiative-overview
↑11	‘Scott Morrison gives his final 7.30 interview of the 2019 campaign’, transcript, May 16 2019 SEE URL: https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/scott-morrison-gives-his-final-7.30-interview-of/11121856
↑12	Scott Morrison, ‘Where we live’, speech, Asialink, Sydney, June 26 2019 SEE URL: https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/stories/australia-and-the-indo-pacific-an-address-by-prime-minister-scott-morrison
↑13	Li Xin and Ke Dawei, ‘Exclusive: Australia’s Prime Minister says China not targeted by investment restrictions’, Caixin, October 9 2018 SEE URL: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-10-09/exclusive-australias-prime-minister-says-china-not-targeted-by-investment-restrictions-101333112.html
↑14	Frances Adamson, Remarks at Australia-China reception, Ambassador’s residence, Beijing, April 25 2019 SEE URL: https://china.embassy.gov.au/bjng/Speech190425.html
↑15	Nathan Hondros, ‘Why WA is China’s next target in its controversial Belt and Road scheme’, WA Today, June 12 2019 SEE URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/why-wa-is-china-s-next-target-in-its-controversial-belt-and-road-scheme-20190611-p51wjg.html
↑16	Ben Doherty and Melissa Davey, ‘Peter Dutton: China accuses home affairs minister of ‘shocking’ and ‘malicious’ slur’, The Guardian, October 12 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/12/peter-dutton-accuses-china-of-stealing-intellectual-property-and-silencing-free-speech
↑17	Ibid.
↑18	Kevin Rudd, ‘Let’s cool it on the anti-China hysteria’, The Sydney Morning Herald, September 6 2019 SEE URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/let-s-cool-it-on-the-anti-china-hysteria-20190905-p52o9r.html
↑19	Kevin Rudd, ‘The complacent country: Alternative visions for Australia’s future in the region and the world’, speech, Australian National University, Canberra, August 28 2019 SEE URL: http://kevinrudd.com/2019/08/28/the-complacent-country-alternative-visions-for-australias-future-in-the-region-and-the-world/
↑20	Jared Owens, ‘Annastacia Palaszcuk weighs in on Victorian government’s controversial China Belt and Road Initiative deal’, The Australian, November 12 2018 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/annastacia-palaszczuk-weighs-in-on-victorian-governments-controversial-china-belt-and-road-initiative-deal/news-story/c724fbb417970bf0d6e022f9c4745f51
↑21	Brad Norington, ‘China’s Belt and Road a bad fit for states, says NSW’, The Australian, November 17 2018 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/foreign-affairs/chinas-belt-and-road-a-bad-fit-for-states-says-nsw/news-story/5eea735a36d16952e719c331f0f29e7d
↑22	Nick Butterly, ‘WA Government won’t sign up to China’s Belt and Road initiative’, The West Australian, June 11 2019 SEE URL: https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/wa-government-wont-sign-up-to-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-ng-b881225762z
↑23	Andrew Burrell, ‘Belt and Road an ideal fit for WA, says China’, The Australian, June 6 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/belt-and-road-an-ideal-fit-for-wa-says-china/news-story/cf3b67e202ff912dba61e86e4056dbbd
↑24	Michael Gunner, keynote speech, One Belt One Road Conference, Darwin, July 10 2018 SEE URL: https://chiefminister.nt.gov.au/articles/population-conference2
↑25	‘Belt and Road Initiative can be win-win, says Australia’s Northern Territory chief minister’, Xinhua, October 15 2019 SEE URL: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/15/c_138471623.htm
↑26	Scott Morrison, Doorstop – Kunda Park, QLD, transcript, November 6 2018 SEE URL: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/doorstop-kunda-park-qld
↑27	‘Foreign Minister Marise Payne to visit Beijing’, interview, ABC AM, November 6 2018 SEE URL: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/foreign-minister-marise-payne-to-visit-beijing/10468604
↑28	Office of the Victorian Premier, ‘Victoria and China take partnership to the next level’, media release, October 23 2019 SEE URL: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/victoria-and-china-take-partnership-to-the-next-level/
↑29	Noel Towell, ‘Andrews signs new belt-and-road deal with China: ‘the right thing to do’’, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 23 2019 SEE URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/andrews-signs-new-belt-and-road-deal-with-china-the-right-thing-to-do-20191023-p533kf.html
↑30	Glenda Korporaal, ‘Heat on Australia’s Mr China’, The Australian, September 14 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/warwick-smith-australias-mr-china/news-story/bd3b34f5997999253f3eef79d30936ee
↑31	Glenda Korporaal, ‘Australia ‘needs special envoys to court China’’, The Australian, June 1 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/australia-needs-special-envoys-to-court-china/news-story/f93b63822f19815a6ba4f38d41fb21c8
↑32	Glenda Korporaal, ‘Business lobby backing China’s Belt and Road’, The Australian, June 27 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/business-lobby-backing-chinas-belt-and-road/news-story/08f427dd9f4a51a8745cc95997b7920d
↑33	Patrick Durkin, ‘China Belt and Road refusal hurting business’, The Australian Financial Review, June 12 2019 SEE URL: https://www.afr.com/world/asia/australia-s-china-belt-and-road-refusal-hurting-business-20190612-p51ww1
↑34	Jenne Brammer, ‘Belt up for ride with China: Elders chief’, The West Australian, September 10 2019, p51.
↑35	Brad Thompson, ‘Grain growers the losers in China chill’, The Australian Financial Review, July 25 2019 SEE URL: https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/agribusiness-warning-on-belt-and-road-breakdown-20190725-p52ap4
↑36	Glenda Korporaal, ‘Elders call to get on board the BRI train’, The Australian, October 15 2019 SEE URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/elders-call-to-get-on-board-bri-train/news-story/82cff86a3cf6db6542c2169ae559219c
↑37	Brad Thompson, ‘Give China more credit, says Fortescue boss’, The Australian Financial Review, July 4 2019 SEE URL: https://www.afr.com/companies/mining/give-china-more-credit-says-fortescue-boss-20190704-p5241i

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