China action above party politics

Liberal Party strategists must be careful how they interpret and respond to claims that the Morrison government’s tough attitude towards the Chinese Communist Party had alienated voters and cost it crucial seats at the federal election. Together with the success of teal independents, big swings against the Coalition in seats with high Chinese-Australian voters have been identified as a key factor in electoral defeat.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census data overlaid with Australian Electoral Commission election results shows above-average swings against the Liberal Party in electorates with high numbers of Chinese-Australians. Post-poll analysis has led some Liberal Party sources to say that not enough was done to separate local voters of Chinese heritage from the former government’s pushback against Beijing.

It is a difficult issue that no doubt is more complex than it appears. It is inaccurate to view Australians with Chinese heritage as a homogenous group. Many have chosen to leave China because they have a difficult relationship with the CCP. Others continue to have close links with China. There is no doubt that the CCP has deep links into Australia’s Chinese community through social media and Chinese language broadcasts and publications. Claims of discrimination against Chinese-Australians have been eagerly amplified by Chinese state-owned media. The bigger picture is that the major concerns of Chinese-Australians are largely the same as other citizens. These include family values and economic security. As recent events in Taiwan demonstrate, the fractious relations between Canberra and Beijing are not a product of the Morrison government but have much deeper roots in a clash between Western values and Xi Jinping’s increasingly assertive and authoritarian style. After some promising early signs that Beijing would change its stance towards Australia, significant difficulties remain in the bilateral relationship despite a change of federal government. Tensions have escalated in recent days with verbal attacks on Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Australia must do everything it can to promote harmonious relations in our region and to assure Australians with Chinese heritage that they are a valued and welcome part of the community. But Australia’s policy and actions towards the CCP must always be guided by our greater national interest and security rather than calculations by either side of politics of electoral advantage in marginal seats.