The post-War order is meant to provide a check on the untrammelled power of the powerful, whether through military invasions or more subtle ways of bending the will of other countries—methods such as interference, coercion and malicious cyber intrusions.
Yet when asked recently how Australia would address China’s influence in the Pacific, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, ‘China’s doing what great powers do, and great powers try to lift their influence and expand their influence in the region that they wish.’
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The type of influence China exercises is not something we can accept as simply ‘what great powers do’. It launched a cyber attack on the Pacific Islands Forum, spreads online disinformation in the Pacific to undermine democracies and weaken Pacific partnerships, sought security agreements that lack public transparency, and undertaken various other malicious activities—such as hybrid and grey zone operations.
And that’s just in the Pacific—China is carrying out this malicious activity globally, not to mention being the main supporter enabling Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Of course, other significant powers seek influence, but responsible nations don’t behave like this.
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There is no altruism with China. Never will be or has. When they tried to kick up a big fuss for Australia swapping hand sanitizer with filter medium for masks back when COVID was starting was the end of it for me. We don’t need to be compatible or should we strive to be. Enforce our boundary with 0 tolerance and decrease reliance on them really needs to happen to assure supply chain stability.