Page 19 - The Giant Awakens - A Collection of Insights into Chinese Government Influence in Australia
P. 19
China is certainly not our enemy. Still, the Chinese
Communist Party insists on regarding all who value
human dignity and freedom as its enemies.
book diplomacy across the The advantage in dealing with a secretive, PHOTO: YAN XIA
world has already enabled Australia enjoys authoritarian and intrinsically
it to become the blood in dealing with hostile Leninist state is that 19
transfusion machine for a secretive, Australian citizens can speak out
other authoritarian countries authoritarian and openly, freely and courteously in
– using economic and trade intrinsically hostile defence of human dignity and
interests to divide Western Leninist state is freedom. Liu Xiaobo did so at
alliances, and using large that Australian the cost of his freedom and his
markets to entice and citizens can speak life. It costs us nothing.
threaten Western capital. out openly, freely
Liu was denied the right to and courteously How would Liu Xiaobo advise
speak, to write or to publish in defence of us to respond? Should we turn
on the metastatic growth human dignity the other cheek, as he did, and
of this anti-Western enemy and freedom. Liu declare, “We have no enemies"?
mentality during his final years Xiaobo did so at the
in prison. In a way he didn’t cost of his freedom China is certainly not our
have to. Over his final term of and his life. It costs enemy. Still, the Chinese
confinement, Beijing did his us nothing. Communist Party insists on
speaking for him. Abandoning regarding all who value human
all reticence, it openly declared dignity and freedom as its
unfailing hostility to the enemies. Here too we could
universal rights and principles draw inspiration from Liu’s
that underpin human dignity comments from prison.
and to those countries that
would protect and uphold Let’s face it, the only way
these rights. The outcome is a to live in dignity, inside this
battlefield mentality in China depraved society we inhabit,
that now pervades every field is to resist. That being so, to
of public policy, directed most go to prison is really nothing
immediately against domestic more than to maintain simple
critics within and outside the human dignity, it’s really
party, but no less threateningly nothing to brag about.
against the “hostile foreign
forces” allegedly conspiring to — Liu Xiaobo, “Letter to
bring China down. Liao Yiwu,” January 13, 2000
Liu Xiaobo’s warnings are not For those who have no
hyperbole. If we grant China’s enemies, one plausible way to
Communist Party the courtesy live in dignity is to follow the
of believing that it means what it path pioneered by Liu Xiaobo:
says, then we are in for difficult to resist those who would make
times. Liu agreed. “It would be a enemies of us.
mistake to take this hyperbolic
language as empty talk,” he This is an abbreviated version of an
wrote. “Someday it could well be article first published in Inside Story
a basis for action.” w w w. i n s i d v e s t o r y. o r g . a u / h u m a n -
If Beijing means what it says, dignity-and-its-enemies/
we need to listen carefully. Reprinted with permission.
We also need to speak up. The
advantage Australia enjoys John Fitzgerald is Professor in
the Centre for Social Impact at
Swinburne University of Technology.
The Giant Awakens: Chinese Government Influence in Australia
Communist Party insists on regarding all who value
human dignity and freedom as its enemies.
book diplomacy across the The advantage in dealing with a secretive, PHOTO: YAN XIA
world has already enabled Australia enjoys authoritarian and intrinsically
it to become the blood in dealing with hostile Leninist state is that 19
transfusion machine for a secretive, Australian citizens can speak out
other authoritarian countries authoritarian and openly, freely and courteously in
– using economic and trade intrinsically hostile defence of human dignity and
interests to divide Western Leninist state is freedom. Liu Xiaobo did so at
alliances, and using large that Australian the cost of his freedom and his
markets to entice and citizens can speak life. It costs us nothing.
threaten Western capital. out openly, freely
Liu was denied the right to and courteously How would Liu Xiaobo advise
speak, to write or to publish in defence of us to respond? Should we turn
on the metastatic growth human dignity the other cheek, as he did, and
of this anti-Western enemy and freedom. Liu declare, “We have no enemies"?
mentality during his final years Xiaobo did so at the
in prison. In a way he didn’t cost of his freedom China is certainly not our
have to. Over his final term of and his life. It costs enemy. Still, the Chinese
confinement, Beijing did his us nothing. Communist Party insists on
speaking for him. Abandoning regarding all who value human
all reticence, it openly declared dignity and freedom as its
unfailing hostility to the enemies. Here too we could
universal rights and principles draw inspiration from Liu’s
that underpin human dignity comments from prison.
and to those countries that
would protect and uphold Let’s face it, the only way
these rights. The outcome is a to live in dignity, inside this
battlefield mentality in China depraved society we inhabit,
that now pervades every field is to resist. That being so, to
of public policy, directed most go to prison is really nothing
immediately against domestic more than to maintain simple
critics within and outside the human dignity, it’s really
party, but no less threateningly nothing to brag about.
against the “hostile foreign
forces” allegedly conspiring to — Liu Xiaobo, “Letter to
bring China down. Liao Yiwu,” January 13, 2000
Liu Xiaobo’s warnings are not For those who have no
hyperbole. If we grant China’s enemies, one plausible way to
Communist Party the courtesy live in dignity is to follow the
of believing that it means what it path pioneered by Liu Xiaobo:
says, then we are in for difficult to resist those who would make
times. Liu agreed. “It would be a enemies of us.
mistake to take this hyperbolic
language as empty talk,” he This is an abbreviated version of an
wrote. “Someday it could well be article first published in Inside Story
a basis for action.” w w w. i n s i d v e s t o r y. o r g . a u / h u m a n -
If Beijing means what it says, dignity-and-its-enemies/
we need to listen carefully. Reprinted with permission.
We also need to speak up. The
advantage Australia enjoys John Fitzgerald is Professor in
the Centre for Social Impact at
Swinburne University of Technology.
The Giant Awakens: Chinese Government Influence in Australia
