Page 28 - The Giant Awakens - A Collection of Insights into Chinese Government Influence in Australia
P. 28
Obsession with China’s Influence Is
Hurting Australia’s Public Diplomacy Agenda
As a result of Australia and communication sector programs, this sector remains
the arrival in and its own place within it. “ethnic.” The implication of
Australia of new These feelings are no doubt Another frequently-used phrase labelling and treating non-
Chinese migrants from the exacerbated by the global states that China is ‘in a passive
People’s Republic of China discourse on the “rise of China,” position and often gets beaten English-language migrant
(PRC) over the past three up’. In other words, what often media as “ethnic” is that, except
decades or so, the diversity in and mounting evidence of the dominates policy discussions is on controversial matters, its
demographic composition of Chinese government’s efforts a deep-seated sense of injustice
the ethnic Chinese population has to shape international public and grievance, imbued with the content usually does not register
intensified. To date, the PRC is feeling of being “hard done by” in in the consciousness of the
the largest overseas birthplace opinion through the media. Like relation to the West—Australia English-speaking mainstream,
for Australians after the United Narendra Modi’s government, included. China’s soft power
Kingdom and New Zealand. which actively pursues its initiative, of which expansion and it is widely assumed there
WANNING SUN Added to this, China has now into Australia’s media landscape is little need for two-way cross-
surpassed Japan as Australia’s diasporic communities—“non- is a part, aims to increase China’s fertilisation of content. Thus,
Successful biggest trading partner, in terms resident Indians”—to contribute media presence globally, with the
engagement of both imports and exports. to India’s national economy, main purpose being to reduce the onus has always been on
with the Chinese This means that China is one of or even eradicate the “bias” the ethnic side to translate the
community only two countries, along with the Chinese government and “prejudices” against China content of mainstream media
is a litmus the United Kingdom, that not also considers diasporic that are seen as pervasive in
test for the only have seen large numbers Chinese communities as public Western media. The overriding into the ethnic language in
effectiveness of of migrants settling in Australia conviction that fuels this drive question, but seldom the other
multiculturalism but also have proven to be diplomacy resources and assets. is that China has been robbed way round.
as a national crucial to Australia’s economic Moreover, much more than the of its rightful voice in a world
policy. survival. Indian government, the Chinese dominated by the imperialistic Due to the language barriers
However, unlike the UK, which media power of the West. that are reinforced by this
28 was for a long time considered administration strategically attitude, non-Chinese audiences
to be the “mother country” by engages with diasporic Chinese Ironically, but perhaps not
many Anglo-Celtic Australians, media which are now widely surprisingly, China’s actions have typically considered
China is not a liberal democracy. aimed at seeking redress for these Chinese-language media in
Unlike India, another supplier described in policy circles in perceived moral and discursive Australia to be some kind of
of skilled migrants to Australia China as the “vessels” that can injustices have become new
and a member of the British propel China’s public diplomacy sources of anxiety for the West, “black box,” and for this reason,
Commonwealth, the Chinese reinforcing the West’s fear of a these media have existed
generally do not share with agenda out into the world. “China threat.” In the mainstream mostly outside the purview of
Anglo-Australians a passion Indeed, such efforts have begun Australian media, China’s efforts
for cricket, and most Chinese to bear tangible outcomes in to globalise its own media have Australian media regulators, the
migrants did not have English been read as a covert attempt to business sector, Government
as a lingua franca prior to their Chinese-language migrant move propaganda offshore, to bodies, and mainstream media
migration. Thus, in comparison media in various countries export communism, and to take
with their Indian migrant outside China. over the symbolic space of the establishments.
community counterparts, free world. China’s expansionist Over the last couple of years,
Chinese-speaking migrants In Australia, as elsewhere, impulses are seen as imperialistic and, in particular, during the
generally experience a greater China’s state media have made in design and intent, with the
linguistic, cultural, and political significant inroads into the space ultimate goal being to achieve past year, the mainstream
distance from Australia’s global dominance and “rule the English-language media’s
Anglo-Celtic mainstream. of Chinese-language media over world.” position vis-à-vis the Chinese
It is this paradoxical situation— the past few years. We have seen
Australia’s economic dependence cases of struggling Chinese- Australian mainstream media in Australia has swung
on China, hand-in-hand with its media response from apathy and indifference
perception that China’s political, language media enterprises For many years, mainstream to mild obsession. But the
ideological, and cultural being bailed out as a result of English-language media and
values are incompatible with the largesse of the Chinese state diasporic Chinese-language frameworks within which these
Australia’s—that explains the media have existed in parallel discussions have taken place are
prevailing feelings of fear and media, as well as examples of universes. While it is apparent mostly narrowly-focused at best,
anxiety that many Australians lucrative deals, partnerships, and that there exists a multicultural
have about China. content-sharing arrangements ethnic media sector “out and sensationalist and alarmist
Chinese-language media in there,” with the exception of at worst. In most cases, media
between China’s state media SBS’s multicultural language reports have been more or less
organisations and cash-strapped
Chinese migrant media entities. accurate about the extent and
scale of the penetration of local
Very commonly misunderstood Chinese-language media by
is the moral motivation behind
China’s attempts at global Chinese state media. However,
what they have left out of the
media expansion. One phrase discussion is whether the
that appears in China’s policy
discussions so often that it has increased presence of China’s
propaganda equates to or
taken on the appearance of a translates into a direct impact
self-evident truth is the saying
that ‘the West is strong and we are on Chinese-speaking migrant
audiences. Nor has there been a
weak’. This expression captures concerted attempt to explain the
China’s perception of the current
dynamics of the global media political and moral motivations
2017 Vision Times Special Edition
Hurting Australia’s Public Diplomacy Agenda
As a result of Australia and communication sector programs, this sector remains
the arrival in and its own place within it. “ethnic.” The implication of
Australia of new These feelings are no doubt Another frequently-used phrase labelling and treating non-
Chinese migrants from the exacerbated by the global states that China is ‘in a passive
People’s Republic of China discourse on the “rise of China,” position and often gets beaten English-language migrant
(PRC) over the past three up’. In other words, what often media as “ethnic” is that, except
decades or so, the diversity in and mounting evidence of the dominates policy discussions is on controversial matters, its
demographic composition of Chinese government’s efforts a deep-seated sense of injustice
the ethnic Chinese population has to shape international public and grievance, imbued with the content usually does not register
intensified. To date, the PRC is feeling of being “hard done by” in in the consciousness of the
the largest overseas birthplace opinion through the media. Like relation to the West—Australia English-speaking mainstream,
for Australians after the United Narendra Modi’s government, included. China’s soft power
Kingdom and New Zealand. which actively pursues its initiative, of which expansion and it is widely assumed there
WANNING SUN Added to this, China has now into Australia’s media landscape is little need for two-way cross-
surpassed Japan as Australia’s diasporic communities—“non- is a part, aims to increase China’s fertilisation of content. Thus,
Successful biggest trading partner, in terms resident Indians”—to contribute media presence globally, with the
engagement of both imports and exports. to India’s national economy, main purpose being to reduce the onus has always been on
with the Chinese This means that China is one of or even eradicate the “bias” the ethnic side to translate the
community only two countries, along with the Chinese government and “prejudices” against China content of mainstream media
is a litmus the United Kingdom, that not also considers diasporic that are seen as pervasive in
test for the only have seen large numbers Chinese communities as public Western media. The overriding into the ethnic language in
effectiveness of of migrants settling in Australia conviction that fuels this drive question, but seldom the other
multiculturalism but also have proven to be diplomacy resources and assets. is that China has been robbed way round.
as a national crucial to Australia’s economic Moreover, much more than the of its rightful voice in a world
policy. survival. Indian government, the Chinese dominated by the imperialistic Due to the language barriers
However, unlike the UK, which media power of the West. that are reinforced by this
28 was for a long time considered administration strategically attitude, non-Chinese audiences
to be the “mother country” by engages with diasporic Chinese Ironically, but perhaps not
many Anglo-Celtic Australians, media which are now widely surprisingly, China’s actions have typically considered
China is not a liberal democracy. aimed at seeking redress for these Chinese-language media in
Unlike India, another supplier described in policy circles in perceived moral and discursive Australia to be some kind of
of skilled migrants to Australia China as the “vessels” that can injustices have become new
and a member of the British propel China’s public diplomacy sources of anxiety for the West, “black box,” and for this reason,
Commonwealth, the Chinese reinforcing the West’s fear of a these media have existed
generally do not share with agenda out into the world. “China threat.” In the mainstream mostly outside the purview of
Anglo-Australians a passion Indeed, such efforts have begun Australian media, China’s efforts
for cricket, and most Chinese to bear tangible outcomes in to globalise its own media have Australian media regulators, the
migrants did not have English been read as a covert attempt to business sector, Government
as a lingua franca prior to their Chinese-language migrant move propaganda offshore, to bodies, and mainstream media
migration. Thus, in comparison media in various countries export communism, and to take
with their Indian migrant outside China. over the symbolic space of the establishments.
community counterparts, free world. China’s expansionist Over the last couple of years,
Chinese-speaking migrants In Australia, as elsewhere, impulses are seen as imperialistic and, in particular, during the
generally experience a greater China’s state media have made in design and intent, with the
linguistic, cultural, and political significant inroads into the space ultimate goal being to achieve past year, the mainstream
distance from Australia’s global dominance and “rule the English-language media’s
Anglo-Celtic mainstream. of Chinese-language media over world.” position vis-à-vis the Chinese
It is this paradoxical situation— the past few years. We have seen
Australia’s economic dependence cases of struggling Chinese- Australian mainstream media in Australia has swung
on China, hand-in-hand with its media response from apathy and indifference
perception that China’s political, language media enterprises For many years, mainstream to mild obsession. But the
ideological, and cultural being bailed out as a result of English-language media and
values are incompatible with the largesse of the Chinese state diasporic Chinese-language frameworks within which these
Australia’s—that explains the media have existed in parallel discussions have taken place are
prevailing feelings of fear and media, as well as examples of universes. While it is apparent mostly narrowly-focused at best,
anxiety that many Australians lucrative deals, partnerships, and that there exists a multicultural
have about China. content-sharing arrangements ethnic media sector “out and sensationalist and alarmist
Chinese-language media in there,” with the exception of at worst. In most cases, media
between China’s state media SBS’s multicultural language reports have been more or less
organisations and cash-strapped
Chinese migrant media entities. accurate about the extent and
scale of the penetration of local
Very commonly misunderstood Chinese-language media by
is the moral motivation behind
China’s attempts at global Chinese state media. However,
what they have left out of the
media expansion. One phrase discussion is whether the
that appears in China’s policy
discussions so often that it has increased presence of China’s
propaganda equates to or
taken on the appearance of a translates into a direct impact
self-evident truth is the saying
that ‘the West is strong and we are on Chinese-speaking migrant
audiences. Nor has there been a
weak’. This expression captures concerted attempt to explain the
China’s perception of the current
dynamics of the global media political and moral motivations
2017 Vision Times Special Edition
