Opinion
Australia’s China obsession undermines its role in the region
The increasingly shrill and ideological framing of the China threat, further exaggerated during the election campaign, risks weakening Australia’s position in South-East Asia.
Ben BlandSouth East Asia expertMany migrate to Australia for the economic opportunities, the quality of life and the weather. I moved to Sydney to join the Lowy Institute in 2019 for more idiosyncratic reasons: my love for South-East Asia and my admiration for Australia’s dynamic foreign policy.
Over a decade working as a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times in China, Indonesia and Vietnam, several Australian diplomats became valuable sources. They embodied the best traditions of Australian foreign policy: keen to roll their sleeves up, straight-talking, knowledgeable and assured of their own values but unencumbered by ideology.
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