What is being tested, what is at play, as the story of Taiwan spools out? The outcomes are too weighty for us in Australia to let burden the shoulders of the 24 million people of Taiwan alone.
The country may have been built on the sheep’s back, but it’s living now on the miner’s drill. We all depend almost dangerously on this single economic sector.
You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I can’t be the only one sick of these overused tunes.
The irony is that the People’s Republic of China – which itself has never held a popular election – is denying Taiwan its rational status.
Next time Foreign Minister Penny Wong visits Beijing, she should likewise arrange meetings with people who – like Keating in Australia – critique the ruling party.
As China’s leader tightens his grip, his people face increasing economic woes.
Faced with death, Alexei Navalny’s refusal to bow to Putin exemplifies hope and resilience unique to a modern martyrdom perpetrated by a totalitarian regime.
Beijing is ratcheting up its tools of persuasion in the Pacific. It’s time Australia’s engagment in the region moves beyond good business and strategy.
China’s threat of annexation wasn’t the major issue determining how Taiwanese voted.
In a time of turbulence and anxiety, The Australian has chosen Cheng Lei as its 2023 Australian of the Year: a person of exceptional resilience, articulacy, and strength of values.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/rowan-callick