Page 25 - The Giant Awakens - A Collection of Insights into Chinese Government Influence in Australia
P. 25
t it can act when it deems alone the broader Australian In short, when the University responded by PHOTO: FOTOLIA
its regulatory processes require community.’ This is because situation warrants rebuking the course of action
strengthening. For example, Chinese audiences harbour it, Australia seems taken by its students and narrative which seems to
the Australian government an innate scepticism towards to have no qualms made no demands the lecturer demand that Chinese students
this year established a Critical state propaganda and those in rejecting Chinese apologise. either disavow their support of
Infrastructure Centre within that are better educated access investment. But it Chinese government positions
the Attorney-General’s news and current affairs from also has sufficient The point is obvious: when or be dismissed and labelled as
Department to undertake a variety of sources. confidence in cases of nationalist agitation brainwashed by communist
assessments of federal, state its regulatory arise, Australian universities propaganda.
and privately-owned critical This year there have been processes still possess the ready ability to
infrastructure and advise the increasing reports of Chinese to welcome preserve academic freedom. Australia needs to remain
Foreign Investment Review government attempts to investment when it vigilant as its links with
Board of national security risks influence Australian university serves the national At the same time, some of the China grow. But the fact that
such as potential for sabotage, lecture and tutorial content interest. language used in mainstream instances of perceived Chinese
espionage and coercion. The through fermenting protests media in response to these government influence are
Australian government has by Chinese international incidents that involve a small so regularly identified and
also initiated a review of students. Objections to a fraction of the 160,000 Chinese investigated, sometimes with
Australia’s espionage and Sydney University lecturer’s students in Australia goes only modest evidence found,
foreign interference laws, with use of a map showing Chinese- beyond the available evidence. is perhaps the most emphatic
a view to introducing reforms claimed territory as part of There is no ‘war being waged reason to be confident that
before the year’s end. India resulted in an apology by Chinese international Australia is in little danger
by the academic. So too did students.’ The Chinese of surrendering its decision-
There is more evidence to complaints against an ANU student cohort does not making sovereignty.
support the assertion that lecturer who translated a embody ‘racial chauvinism,’
Beijing has been successful warning about cheating into which one commentator now Elena Collinson is senior project
in influencing other areas of Chinese language. Meanwhile, claims Beijing is exporting to and research officer at Australia-
Australian society, such as a Monash University lecturer Australian shores. China Relations Institute,
local Chinese-language media. was suspended following University of Technology Sydney
Wanning Sun, professor of the inclusion of a question To be sure, Chinese students James Laurenceson is professor and
Media and Communication in a quiz that some students can – and do – come under deputy director at Australia-China
Studies at the University of deemed made fun of Chinese pressure from the Chinese Relations Institute, University of
Technology Sydney, observes officials. embassy, consulates and Technology Sydney
that, ‘China has made it clear their peers to toe the party For more information, visit:
that Chinese migrant media Most recently, a Newcastle line, seemingly more so now www.australiachinarelations.org
are the vehicle with which they University lecturer was than in the past. This means Twitter at @acri_uts.
seek to engage in a two-phase confronted by some Chinese there is a genuine need for
process of communication: students for listing Taiwan as Australian universities to 25
first, the state Chinese a ‘country’ – a secret recording better connect with Chinese
media set out to influence of which was provided to students and support their
diasporic Chinese media; Chinese-language media. freedom of expression. But this
second, the diasporic media But in this case, Newcastle is only made more difficult
are expected to influence the by promoting a simplistic
mainstream host media.’ And
she adds that in Australia’s
Chinese-language media,
‘there has been a clear shift
from media representations
of China that are mostly
critical to representations
that are sympathetic or even
supportive.’
But Professor Sun also
concludes that ‘there is little
clear evidence that such
‘localised’ propaganda has
a direct impact on Chinese-
speaking audiences, let
The Giant Awakens: Chinese Government Influence in Australia
its regulatory processes require community.’ This is because situation warrants rebuking the course of action
strengthening. For example, Chinese audiences harbour it, Australia seems taken by its students and narrative which seems to
the Australian government an innate scepticism towards to have no qualms made no demands the lecturer demand that Chinese students
this year established a Critical state propaganda and those in rejecting Chinese apologise. either disavow their support of
Infrastructure Centre within that are better educated access investment. But it Chinese government positions
the Attorney-General’s news and current affairs from also has sufficient The point is obvious: when or be dismissed and labelled as
Department to undertake a variety of sources. confidence in cases of nationalist agitation brainwashed by communist
assessments of federal, state its regulatory arise, Australian universities propaganda.
and privately-owned critical This year there have been processes still possess the ready ability to
infrastructure and advise the increasing reports of Chinese to welcome preserve academic freedom. Australia needs to remain
Foreign Investment Review government attempts to investment when it vigilant as its links with
Board of national security risks influence Australian university serves the national At the same time, some of the China grow. But the fact that
such as potential for sabotage, lecture and tutorial content interest. language used in mainstream instances of perceived Chinese
espionage and coercion. The through fermenting protests media in response to these government influence are
Australian government has by Chinese international incidents that involve a small so regularly identified and
also initiated a review of students. Objections to a fraction of the 160,000 Chinese investigated, sometimes with
Australia’s espionage and Sydney University lecturer’s students in Australia goes only modest evidence found,
foreign interference laws, with use of a map showing Chinese- beyond the available evidence. is perhaps the most emphatic
a view to introducing reforms claimed territory as part of There is no ‘war being waged reason to be confident that
before the year’s end. India resulted in an apology by Chinese international Australia is in little danger
by the academic. So too did students.’ The Chinese of surrendering its decision-
There is more evidence to complaints against an ANU student cohort does not making sovereignty.
support the assertion that lecturer who translated a embody ‘racial chauvinism,’
Beijing has been successful warning about cheating into which one commentator now Elena Collinson is senior project
in influencing other areas of Chinese language. Meanwhile, claims Beijing is exporting to and research officer at Australia-
Australian society, such as a Monash University lecturer Australian shores. China Relations Institute,
local Chinese-language media. was suspended following University of Technology Sydney
Wanning Sun, professor of the inclusion of a question To be sure, Chinese students James Laurenceson is professor and
Media and Communication in a quiz that some students can – and do – come under deputy director at Australia-China
Studies at the University of deemed made fun of Chinese pressure from the Chinese Relations Institute, University of
Technology Sydney, observes officials. embassy, consulates and Technology Sydney
that, ‘China has made it clear their peers to toe the party For more information, visit:
that Chinese migrant media Most recently, a Newcastle line, seemingly more so now www.australiachinarelations.org
are the vehicle with which they University lecturer was than in the past. This means Twitter at @acri_uts.
seek to engage in a two-phase confronted by some Chinese there is a genuine need for
process of communication: students for listing Taiwan as Australian universities to 25
first, the state Chinese a ‘country’ – a secret recording better connect with Chinese
media set out to influence of which was provided to students and support their
diasporic Chinese media; Chinese-language media. freedom of expression. But this
second, the diasporic media But in this case, Newcastle is only made more difficult
are expected to influence the by promoting a simplistic
mainstream host media.’ And
she adds that in Australia’s
Chinese-language media,
‘there has been a clear shift
from media representations
of China that are mostly
critical to representations
that are sympathetic or even
supportive.’
But Professor Sun also
concludes that ‘there is little
clear evidence that such
‘localised’ propaganda has
a direct impact on Chinese-
speaking audiences, let
The Giant Awakens: Chinese Government Influence in Australia
