Page 16 - Luce 2020

S enior C o mmon Ro om

Australia and China – which way forward?

As part of his sabbatical leave the Principal spent time in Beijing, including
during the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Some of his thoughts from that trip were published with Gwilym Croucher in
The Australian. Here he offers a fuller and more developed view on the possibilities
and challenges in a fuller development of China-Australia relationships.

How should Australia reconcile a to expand both the frequency and
complex triangle of strategic, political, the complexity of exchanges in both
and economic needs with China’s directions, resourcing the development
own emerging power and expanding of new programs and the deepening
national vision? Two of three sides of this of existing ones. Given Australia’s
triangle align squarely with the Western, relatively limited size and scale, it is vital
democratic tradition. They underpin our that those bodies engaging with China
strategic imperatives, which integrate think collaboratively, moving beyond
our military and intelligence capacity the invisible silos which so often limit
with that of the United States. They collective impact to refine our national
also underpin our political imperatives, dialogue.
allowing for the rule of law, a free press,
free elections, and the right to open Second, more work needs to be done
political discussion and debate. The in the university setting. Along with
third side of the triangle determines our Chinese academics and administrators,
economic prosperity, and perhaps our Australian universities need to engage Tsinghua University
sense of being ‘at home’ in Asia. It is more fundamentally with the 150,000
underpinned by the rise of ‘new China’, plus Chinese students who are currently architecture of the University of Virginia
and the enormous trading and cultural living and studying in Australia. All of while its magnificent, recently-built
opportunities open to Australia through us, from Vice-Chancellors to first year Schwartzman College brings together the
China and felt increasingly across the tutors, need to deepen our appreciation best and brightest Chinese minds with top
globe. and understanding of their journey American and other graduates with an aim
from home and their inevitable return to greater understanding and engagement.
Australia and China will not and cannot to China. We need to be engaging with
agree on everything. As a middle power, their aspirations and concerns with an Students who peregrinate between
can we also find a middle way in relation eye to cultural sensitivities and nuances Chinese-student dominated classes
to China? To do so, I would argue, we as of communist China. It is an obvious and Chinese-student dominated
Australians need to be absolutely clear, way to build cultural capital between accommodation are unlikely to deepen
in our own minds and in our public our two nations. Those Chinese students their understanding of Australian
pronouncements, about those things we I have engaged with, both in China and social and political values. Rather than
can agree upon. And we need to be in Janet Clarke Hall, are deeply smart, sponsoring yet another private-equity-
energetic and constructive in building gracious, and aware of the cultural funded ‘international’ student apartment
up multi-lateral relationships which can sensitivities that come with international block, Australian universities, including
sustain the China-Australia relationship engagement. They will, inevitably, play a the University of Melbourne, would
despite ongoing disagreements. part in the development of ‘new China’ do well to seek major philanthropic
over the coming decades. We should benefaction for a local, Schwarzman-style
First, more Australians including be actively and earnestly talking and College. Such an institution could sponsor
educators, government ministers, and listening to them. outstanding Chinese students to study
local students need to spend more global relations in concert with
time in China. Not merely in short-term Having accepted Chinese students in local students and others drawn from
‘fly in, fly out’ visits, but on trips that such great numbers, our universities around the globe.
open up the time and space needed for also need to ensure by design that
proper dialogue. Moving to a pattern these students don’t end up living in With Prof Hamish Coates Director,
of more sustained, recurrent, and clusters with limited outside contact Tsinghua Institute of Education
serious governmental and academic or engagement. Building relations with
exchanges would be an important step the best and brightest in the current
forward. Those bodies already engaged generation of young Chinese students
with China such as AsiaLink, the New will form the foundation from which we
Columbo Plan, and the Australian will engage in dialogue, at a nation to
Human Rights Commission need to grow nation level, over the next fifty years.
in size and capability. They need to If we view Chinese students largely in
deepen their engagement. terms of economic gain we can expect
little in return down the track.
New options, including public-private
partnerships, philanthropic funding, Founded in 1911 with American
and additional government resources backing, the oldest buildings at China’s
all need to be in the mix. We need elite Tsinghua University echo the
16 LUCE Number 18 2019