Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明 @B_Herscovitch Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

@B_Herscovitch

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Research Fellow @ANUregnet —geoeconomics & Chinese + Australian foreign policy. Also 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 & 🇦🇺-🇹🇼 relations. Ex @DefenceAust . Usual caveats.

Canberra

https://t.co/PhmZSNYQvb

Joined May 2012

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 months

In a bid to foster more representation in 🇦🇺 debates about 🇨🇳 & bilateral ties, I’ve created a directory of Chinese-Australian 🇨🇳 experts. This is still a work in progress, so corrections/additions/suggestions welcomed (especially other people to add):

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Chinese-Australian* China experts

In a bid to foster more representation in Australian debates about China and bilateral ties, I’ve created the below directory of Chinese-Australian China experts. Aimed at journalists, academics, t…

beijing2canberra.org

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

8 months

An independent Tibet on my French grandfather’s globe.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

“Xi Jinping step down”—Fairbairn Ave in Canberra

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Flagrant disinformation from 🇨🇳’s Ambassador to 🇦🇺 in The Sydney Morning Herald. Including this: “the one-China principle … is … the consensus of the international community.” Like many countries, 🇦🇺 doesn’t endorse 🇨🇳’s view that 🇹🇼 is part of 🇨🇳.

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Taiwan is always part of China, but war with Australia is a fallacy

I want to emphasise that China-Australia relations are mutually beneficial. What Australia needs is opportunities and partners, not threats and imaginary enemies.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 months

From my children’s school. Will 100% review this checklist before writing my next op-ed.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Sometimes Australian public life really is gloriously colloquial.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

11 months

Beyond the revelation of a Director of Strategic Affairs at the 🇦🇺 Office in Taipei to engage w/ 🇹🇼's defence ministry & security agencies, 🇦🇺's 🇹🇼 language seems to be shifting. DFAT now saying that 🇦🇺 "works across" its "regional security" interests to promote 🇦🇺-🇹🇼 ties. 1/3

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

That moment as an Australian when you get off the bus in another country & loudly yell “Thanks!” to the driver & realise how weird you are.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 months

My latest for The Canberra Times: The Albanese government should do more to explain the military uses of nuclear-powered submarines. A more open conversation will be hard. But the stakes are too high to not brief the 🇦🇺 people in. Non-paywalled version:

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

6 months

My latest w/ @mhar4 for @LowyInstitute : Enhancing Australia’s Taiwan ties 🇦🇺 should use the flexibility of its 1-China policy to increase trade & political engagement w/ 🇹🇼. Including backing 🇹🇼 to join the CPTPP, pursuing a bilat 🇦🇺-🇹🇼 FTA & sending 🇦🇺 ministers to visit 🇹🇼.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Ex Malabar ‘23 will be the 4th time in a row that all Quad countries participate. & given growing warmth of 🇦🇺-🇮🇳 ties, it seems likely for now that 🇦🇺 will be invited to future iterations. More & more, it looks like a Quad naval exercise in all but name.

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Australia to host key naval exercise involving Quad nations for the first time

A further deepening in economic and security ties was discussed during Anthony Albanese's meeting with India's external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in Sydney.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Is this the right partisan balance for a Zoom interview on the Australian parliamentary visit to Taiwan?

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

7 months

It seems (I think?) to have gone largely unremarked in the press, but 🇹🇼's National Science & Technology Council Minister Wu Tsung-tsong recently (23-26 Oct.) visited 🇦🇺. Here he is visiting 🇦🇺's Department of Industry, Science and Resources:

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

& thus the 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 FM talks begin…

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

8 months

🇦🇺's latest 🇮🇷 sanctions include Press TV, reportedly on the grounds that it broadcast forced confessions. Makes 🇦🇺's unwillingness to sanction 🇨🇳 entities especially conspicuous given 🇨🇳 media outlets have a track record of airing forced confessions.

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Australia to impose sanctions on Iranian state media over broadcast of forced confessions

Penny Wong to announce the Albanese government’s new sanctions against those linked to the oppression of women and girls

www.theguardian.com

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Yet more signs 🇦🇺 PM wants an invite to 🇨🇳 this year: 'The sources ... confirmed Albanese is ... “anticipating to visit Beijing” later this year...' PM Albanese's apparent priority poses a bit of a 🇨🇳 policy dilemma for Canberra. 1/6

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Exclusive | Australian prime minister ‘anticipating’ Beijing trip this year as talks resume

Australian trade minister Don Farrell will meet with Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao next week, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese then ‘anticipating to visit Beijing’ later this year, according to...

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

A short 🧵 of snaps from 🇰🇪’s Mombasa-Nairobi railway, which was (mostly) financed & constructed by 🇨🇳.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

6 months

An influential member of 🇦🇺’s Shadow Ministry rejects efforts by 🇨🇳 to redefine 🇦🇺’s one-China policy. Senator Paterson’s speech to the opening night of the Track 2.0 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 Dialogue at the Lowy Institute encapsulates significant strains of Opposition thinking on 🇨🇳.

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@SenPaterson

James Paterson

6 months

Speech at the @LowyInstitute Australia-China Track 2.0 Dialogue in Sydney recently:

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

8 months

Another example of how the 🇨🇳 government is ably navigating the 🇦🇺 media landscape: 28 Aug: 🇨🇳 Perth Consul-General Long Dingbin publishes an effusive piece in the Communist Party of Australia's Guardian 8 Sep: The same piece appears nearly verbatim in The West Australian

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Possibly (probably) against my better judgement, I've started a Substack on 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 rels. It's my rough & ready take on a few of the key bilat developments each week, w/ a focus on broader defence/foreign policy Qs. Hate mail/encouragement welcome:

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Beijing to Canberra and Back | Benjamin Herscovitch | Substack

Analysis of Australia-China relations. Click to read Beijing to Canberra and Back, by Benjamin Herscovitch, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

🇩🇪’s foreign ministry: “🇹🇼 is a democracy & an important partner for 🇩🇪 in terms of trade & investment. In that sense, regular exchanges & reciprocal visits by the relevant ministers are completely normal.” It’s been more than a decade since an 🇦🇺 minister visited 🇹🇼.

@WilliamYang120

William Yang

@WilliamYang120

1 year

From @FT : " #Taiwan will host its first visit by a German federal minister in 26 years next week, a trip that has highlighted divisions in Berlin over the handling of its relationship with #China ."

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Children tried Laoganma for the first time. Rave reviews. Child 1: "It's like a flavoursome explosion. It's like 9 volcanoes bunched together." Child 2: "I'm just going to eat this everyday."

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

7 months

The presumed inevitability of 🇨🇳’s use of force against 🇹🇼 is especially concerning: “Once the Chinese government is forced to use force to resolve the Taiwan question…”

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If China is forced to resolve the Taiwan question through the use of force, it will be a legitimate...

If the Chinese government is forced to use force to resolve the Taiwan question, it will be a war of reunification, legitimacy and justice from the moral high ground, Lieutenant General He Lei,...

www.globaltimes.cn

@mhar4

@mhar4

7 months

Lieutenant General He Lei describing PLA plans to inflict a horror on the people of Taiwan and curse the region with unmanageable crises - economic, political and moral - for generations.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Such sad news. Allan Gyngell was a first-class public intellectual, a friend and mentor to so many, a dedicated servant of Australia, and, most importantly, a humble and generous individual. Vale

@AIIANational

Australian Institute of International Affairs

1 year

The Australian Institute of International Affairs is very sad to hear of the death of our immediate past president, Allan Gyngell AO FAIIA, this morning. Allan's contributions to the institute and to Australian foreign policy have been enormous. Our thoughts are with his family.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Slipping back way too easily into full-time Canberra life. Dropping mum & children off at Questacon, working from the National Library & Brodburgers by the Lake. The Canberra caricature is pretty good tbh.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Australia's liberal credentials on the line in UK-Mauritius sovereignty dispute. & 🇭🇲's response so far undermines its efforts to get 🇨🇳 to play by global rules + laws. My piece for @LowyInstitute :

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

7 months

Alright, I’ve done it. I’ll still be dipping in here on the regular, but already the grass is really green on the other side.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Short bilateral 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 Joint Statement No resolution of disputes. But big news on high-level engagement: restarting/starting anew on (nearly) all fronts. Human rights dialogue one conspicuous exception. Plus no specific mention of leader-level meetings.

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Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue Joint Outcomes Statement

The Sixth Australia-China Foreign and Strategic Dialogue was held in Beijing on 21 December 2022.

www.foreignminister.gov.au

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Normative international relations as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

FM Wong’s Beijing visit🟰big milestone in 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 rels Unless I missed something: ➡️ 1st 🇦🇺 FM visit to 🇨🇳 since Nov. 18 ➡️ 1st 🇦🇺 ministerial visit to Beijing since Aug. 19 (Trade Min. Birmingham) ➡️ 1st 🇦🇺 ministerial visit to 🇨🇳 since Nov. 19 (Trade Min. Birmingham) Links 👇

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

@stephendziedzic Same person?? Leave Fiction Bar @ 4:45am, arrive Church of Pentecost @ 10:30am? Perfect.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Today years old when I learnt that the iconic Viennetta is made in 🇵🇹. Trust the Portuguese Embassy in Canberra will incorporate this into their public diplomacy.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

The 1st Beijing to Canberra and Back for 2023 (Dec & Jan 2022-23): 1️⃣ 🇨🇳 pursues relationship repair without 🇦🇺 reversing policy positions 2️⃣ The (limited) impact of the Albanese gov’s softer 🇨🇳 diplomacy 3️⃣ 🇨🇳 seemingly lets expectations of 🇦🇺 slide

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Beijing's backdown and the role of Canberra's softer tone on China

Weeks of 11 December 2022 to 29 January 2023

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

really knows how to do a headline.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Signing off for a few weeks of leave. Let’s be honest, I’ll still be silently lurking on here for the memes. But otherwise, catch you next year. If it’s that time of year for you too, happy holidays & best wishes for 2023! Most of all tho, stay safe & look after each other. 🌏❤️

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Alliance politics difficult to square w/ market logic in age of econ coercion: "🇺🇸 coal exports to 🇨🇳 have risen steadily from virtually nothing in October, while 🇦🇺 exports of the commodity have dropped to zero in the past 4 months." 30 Apr 2021

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China’s US coal imports surge in March amid ban on Australian exports

US coal exports to China more than doubled between February and March, helping Beijing edge closer to its obligations under the phase-one trade deal and replace Australian coal exports that were...

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

10 months

Today years old when I learnt that the 🇺🇸 & 🇨🇳 operated a joint SIGINT facility in Xinjiang in the '80s to monitor Soviet missile tests. Apparently paramount leader Deng responded sympathetically to then-Senator Biden in '79 when the facility was raised.

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U.S. AND PEKING JOIN IN TRACKING MISSILES IN SOVIET (Published 1981)

www.nytimes.com

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

🇨🇳's readout of the Wong-Wang meet has 2X refs to 🇦🇺's "one-China principle". Pretty inconceivable FM Wong would've said that. Hard not to conclude: 1⃣ MFA readouts of other gov positions=dubious 2⃣ 🇨🇳 misrepresenting other govs as part of anti-🇹🇼 strategy

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

8 months

It seems 🇮🇳's R&AW intel agency may have assassinated a 🇨🇦 citizen in 🇨🇦. This looks likely to have implications for 🇦🇺 & 🇦🇺-🇮🇳 ties. 🇦🇺's publicly taciturn approach to 🇮🇳's human rights record under Modi likely come under more domestic pressure in 🇦🇺. But more importantly...

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

1 to watch for 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 rels: "Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia launched a $136 mil bid for 🇦🇺 lithium developer Essential Metals in early Jan, setting up a trigger for approval by FIRB. Essential recommended the bid & will seek shareholder approval by Apr."

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Albanese: Keep critical minerals in Australia, make our own batteries

Linking national security to domestic industry, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to put money into projects that could expand manufacturing and recover from the loss of the big carmakers.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Win from the local street library=❤️❤️❤️Chatswood

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

🇨🇳 put on notice by 🇦🇺+🇯🇵 vis-à-vis CPTPP accession: "Ministers [Farrell & Nishimura] noted that economic coercion and unjustified restrictive trade practices are contrary to the objectives and high standards of the Agreement."

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Japan-Australia Ministerial Economic Dialogue

The Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, and the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, HE Nishimura Yasutoshi

www.trademinister.gov.au

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

A great AUKUS debate full of sharp analysis & passion. Bonus of no less than two crossings of the Rubicon.

@limdarrenj

Darren Lim

3 years

A firey AUSTRALIA IN THE WORLD as Allan @AIIANational and I debate the merits of AUKUS. Our debate I think reveals a lot about the stakes, and how differing assessments of Australia’s strategic landscape will shape views on this issue:

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

🇮🇩's House of Reps members visit 🇹🇼. Despite 🇦🇺's generally proactive diplomacy on 🇹🇼, there doesn't seem to have been a parliamentary visit since 2017. & that 2017 visit only seems to have included Coalition MPs/Senators? Time for a bipartisan 🇦🇺 parliamentary visit to 🇹🇼?

@iingwen

蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen

2 years

Great to meet with a cross-party delegation from the #Taiwan caucus of the Indonesian House of Representatives @DPR_RI . We deeply value our friendship with #Indonesia & look forward to even closer cooperation to advance the well-being of both our peoples.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Update: It now seems clear that 🇦🇺's Trade Minister Farrell didn't discuss 🇹🇼 during talks w/ 🇨🇳's Commerce Minister Wang. So, the message that "🇦🇺 did not support 🇹🇼's membership [of the CPTPP]" was likely never conveyed to 🇨🇳 during the visit (at least not at min-min level).

@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

I'm deeply sceptical of this, but big if true. According to an anonymous "source" w/ "direct knowledge of Canberra’s actions": "Farrell told [🇨🇳] 🇦🇺 did not support 🇹🇼's membership [of the CPTPP] – referring to the Albanese statement in November 2022".

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

6 months

The recent 🇦🇺-🇮🇳 2+2 statement includes references to "democracy & pluralism" + "rule of law". Hard to reconcile that w/ recent plausible allegations of successful & foiled assassinations by 🇮🇳 in 🇨🇦 & 🇺🇸. A growing case for 🇦🇺 to tone down the shared values language w/ 🇮🇳?

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

👀 There is a bunch of fascinating looking gigs for Mandarin linguists going at ASD at the APS4-6 & EL1 levels:

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Pressure likely to mount on 🇦🇺 gov. to use Magnitsky sanctions against 🇨🇳. Approx. 1 million Tibetan children "affected by 🇨🇳 gov. policies aimed at assimilating Tibetan people culturally, religiously & linguistically through a residential school system".

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China: UN experts alarmed by separation of 1 million Tibetan children from families and forced...

GENEVA (6 February 2023) – Around a million children of the Tibetan minority were being affected by Chinese government policies aimed at assimilating Tibetan people culturally, religiously and...

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Worth reading on the strategic implications of 🇨🇳's infrastructure investments: "Chinese companies' control over international port assets in wartime or other crisis scenarios remains incomplete & vulnerable to foreign military & host state action alike."

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

A cruise company advertising in the 🇦🇺 press taking a geopolitical punt each way on 🇨🇳 & 🇹🇼.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

My take on the case for 🇦🇺 parliamentarians visiting 🇹🇼: 1️⃣ Counteracting 🇨🇳’s isolation efforts 2️⃣ Raising parliamentary & public awareness of the threats to 🇹🇼’s liberal democracy from 🇨🇳 3️⃣ The likely (relatively) low-key response from 🇨🇳

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

2 quick takeaways on '22 Vs '21 AUSMIN language on 🇹🇼: 1⃣ There's some more precise language that is likely to reassure 🇨🇳 without downsides for 🇹🇼 2⃣ But there are also 2 examples of conspicuously weaker language on 🇹🇼 that are likely to cause concern in Taipei (& elsewhere) 1/5

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Chinese tech companies like Huawei are becoming development & security partners of choice for Indonesia. There are lessons for 🇺🇸/🇦🇺/🇯🇵 & others as they seek to compete w/ 🇨🇳 in South-East Asia. My latest w/ @dvanderkley & @GPriyandita for @ForeignPolicy :

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Why Indonesia Has Embraced Huawei

If the U.S. wants to compete with China in developing countries, our research shows it needs to offer tangible assistance in response to real needs.

foreignpolicy.com

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Way down in the weeds of 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 rels, but do I see a little diplomatic flex in FM Wong’s press release? Specifies “at the invitation of” 🇨🇳, suggesting that Beijing did the asking? Contrast that w/ FM Payne’s press release from the last equivalent visit in ‘18: “hosted by” 🇨🇳.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Another milestone in 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 rels: Trade Min Don Farrell talking w/ Commerce Min Wang Wentao this afternoon AEDT (virtually). 1st direct conversation at the ministerial level * in the trade portfolio between 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 since Senator Birmingham was in 🇨🇳 in 2019.

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Australian and Chinese trade ministers meet for first time in three years

Don Farrell will fly to Beijing in the ‘near future’ amid a thawing of diplomatic relations with Australia’s largest trading partner

www.theguardian.com

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

I'm deeply sceptical of this, but big if true. According to an anonymous "source" w/ "direct knowledge of Canberra’s actions": "Farrell told [🇨🇳] 🇦🇺 did not support 🇹🇼's membership [of the CPTPP] – referring to the Albanese statement in November 2022".

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Exclusive | China’s CPTPP bid ‘impossible’ for Australia to approve while sanctions remain

Canberra is not expected to endorse China’s membership into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership amid ‘geopolitical baggage’, and Taiwan may be denied, too.

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

After a few years keeping (relatively) quiet on Twitter, I'm back out in the world thanks to a research role @ANURegNet . Excited to launch into a new project on geoeconomics & China's statecraft with @AntheaERoberts + a crew of brilliant colleagues at @ANUasiapacific .

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Essential reading for everyone in 🇭🇲-🇨🇳 debates: 31% of Chinese-Australians have been verbally abused + 18% physically threatened or attacked. 52% say 🇭🇲-🇨🇳 rels have contributed & 66% say COVID has. Kudos to @jennifer_hsu @natashaskassam & @LowyInstitute :

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

7 months

🇦🇺 gov on Landbridge Group’s Darwin Port lease: “not necessary to vary or cancel the lease.” PM Albanese in 2015: “to give up a strategic asset to a company that has links with the People's Liberation Army in 🇨🇳 is, I think, a grave error of judgement”.

On The Bolt Report, November 22

On The Bolt Report, November 22

www.heraldsun.com.au

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@B_Herscovitch

Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

5 months

Update of 🇦🇺’s Critical Minerals List includes new Strategic Materials List (copper, nickel, aluminium, phosphorous, tin & zinc). What does this mean for 🇦🇺’s approach to 🇨🇳 investments in “strategic materials”? A prelude to more 🇨🇳investment rejections?

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Updates to Australia’s Critical Minerals List

www.industry.gov.au

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Regardless of one's position on AUKUS, 🇺🇸 force posture in 🇦🇺, & 🇦🇺+🇺🇸 intel cooperation, MINDEF Marles' address to Parliament yesterday is worth reading. A few highlights that caught my eye below (on 🇦🇺 sovereignty, military capability decisions, & intel facilities).

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

The (v. abridged) case for an 🇦🇺 FTA w/ 🇹🇼 🧵 1/5 Then FM Bishop in 2018: “The 🇨🇳 government made it clear to me that circumstances had changed between 🇹🇼+🇨🇳 and that 🇨🇳 would not look favourably on 🇦🇺 seeking to pursue a free trade agreement w/ 🇹🇼.”

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Australia abandoned plans for Taiwanese free trade agreement after warning from China

In discussions with former foreign minister Julie Bishop, her counterpart Wang Yi made clear China would respond negatively to such a deal.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

While we’re driving, child 2 opens car window & starts yelling at passing cars: “Do you have candy?!?!” Poor Halloween etiquette? Innovative approach? 🤷‍♂️

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Beijing to Canberra and Back (fortnight of 15 to 28 August): 1⃣ What's wrong w/ the misleading 1-China op-ed by 🇨🇳's Ambassador? 2⃣ Options for the 🇦🇺 government (& DFAT) to counteract 🇨🇳's disinformation 3⃣ Aggregate 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 leader-level meetings since '72

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Beijing (re)embraces one-China disinformation plus aggregate leader-level meetings

Fortnight of 15 to 28 August 2022

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Me trying to deliver a (clearly unconvincing) parental sermon about how the rules are for everyone’s benefit & my first priority is keeping everyone safe Me: “So, what’s my number one job?” Child 1: “Um, making money to buy us presents?” 🤦‍♂️

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

That glorious feeling when you’re flying for work as a parent and you’re seated next to children who are going a bit wild and watching Paw Patrol. But they’re not your children. There but for the grace of God go I.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

4 years

🤦‍♂️ @australian An apology to @natashaskassam and a correction are in order. @newscorpaus @AusOpinion Long overdue for Australian media to do better.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Washington's diplomatic support is welcomed by Canberra, but 🇨🇳's economic coercion against 🇦🇺 creates commercial opportunities for 🇺🇸. The Biden admin will need to explore other avenues to provide tangible support to 🇦🇺. @j_laurenceson offers some policy options.

@j_laurenceson

James Laurenceson 罗震

3 years

NEW: In @SCMPNews I show that as China unleashes trade punishment on Australia, the US is 0/6 in standing with 🇦🇺 if it involves actions that incur a cost. This is not reason for 🇦🇺 Australia to panic. But let's be clear who is paying the price. @UTSEngage

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

My latest for @ReviewPacific with the always sharp + incisive @VictorAFerguson & @limdarrenj : "Between market and state: the evolution of 🇦🇺’s economic statecraft" It's available open access here:

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Between market and state: the evolution of Australia’s economic statecraft

For nearly four decades, Australia’s domestic and international economic policies were anchored by the promotion of open, transparent, and rules-based market exchange. This was considered the best ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

My (perhaps slightly cheeky) take on 🇨🇳’s reaction to the AUKUS announcement: “To paraphrase [former 🇦🇺 Prime Minister] Keating, 🇨🇳’s criticisms of Aukus are likely to be all tip and no iceberg when it comes to the broader 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 relationship.”

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China’s sound and fury over Aukus will mean little for ties with Australia | Benjamin Herscovitch

Beijing wants the relationship ‘back on the right track’ regardless of the trilateral pact

www.theguardian.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

10 months

A rare(-ish) publicly advertised engagement between an 🇦🇺 parliamentarian & 🇹🇼 gov. official.

@ShayneNeumannMP

Shayne Neumann

@ShayneNeumannMP

10 months

My advice to newly appointed @TaiwanAustralia rep, Douglas Yu-tien Hsu was that sport is the key to understanding Australia. He graciously celebrated @AussieDiamonds win & supported @TheMatildas for tonight’s match. Looking forward to working with him. Welcome to Australia.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 months

AUKUS divisions on show at the 🇦🇺 Labor national conference. MINDEF Richard Marles "jeered" by Labor anti-AUKUS activists. Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy: “If you’re pro-human rights, you need to be pro-AUKUS, if you’re pro-peace, you need to be pro-AUKUS.”

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

🇨🇳's anti-AUKUS diplomatic campaign continues apace. Regardless of how legally plausible/implausible 🇨🇳's proliferation objections might be, 🇦🇺 (& 🇺🇸+🇬🇧) will need to do much more in coming years to win the international diplomatic & political argument.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Surging Australian wine exports to UK and EU in 2020 (driven by COVID). Unclear if trend continues as additional duties imposed by China in Nov 2020 bite this year, but encouraging for Aus wine industry nonetheless.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

I know I’m late to the party, but this is utterly compelling. Gripping storytelling & sharp analysis. Can’t stop listening (ideal esp. for a 1-day Sydney↔️Canberra return drive…). Kudos to @suelinwong & @TheEconomist China team! 👏👏👏

@TheEconomist

The Economist

2 years

Xi Jinping’s project to restore the Communist Party’s overbearing role has grim implications for China—and the world

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

7 months

Phone autocorrects “I’ll cc you in” to “I’ll CCP you in”. Been in the business too long?

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

DFAT has a bunch of EL1 & APS4-6 policy gigs going working on e.g. 🇺🇸,🇨🇳,🇯🇵,🇮🇳,🇰🇷 & the Indo-Pacific. EL1: APS6: APS4-5:

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Beijing to Canberra and Back (fortnight of 1 to 14 August): 1️⃣ Should Canberra directly correct Beijing’s disinformation efforts on 🇦🇺’s one-🇨🇳 policy? 2️⃣ Face-to-face leader-level 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 meetings since 1972 3️⃣ New & enduring sources of bilateral tensions

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Misrepresenting the one-China policy, leader-level meetings, and the impasse endures

Fortnight of 1 to 14 August 2022

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

The DSR doesn't mention the 🇦🇺-🇳🇿 dimension of ANZUS. A deliberate nod to changed strategic circumstances & the primacy of the 🇦🇺-🇺🇸 Alliance? Or an unintentional gap? Or something else? 🇺🇸="our Ally & principal strategic partner" Vs. 🇳🇿="a key partner".

National Defence: Defence Strategic Review 2023

Commissioned by the Prime Minister, an independent review of Australian Defence Force force posture.

www.defence.gov.au

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Suspicious minds on the streets of Canberra

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

The Global Times quoting an academic who spins 🇨🇳’s invitation as reward for 🇦🇺’s good behaviour: “But now, we found Australia's attitude has further changed, so we can see the visit is at Wang's invitation, which shows China's recognition for Australia's laudable attitude.”

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

The pairing at my local intersection

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

This: "US claims to upholding the rules-based order don’t square with its silence on Mauritian sovereignty in the Chagos." Same goes for Australia. Canberra's vote in the UN in 2019 and subsequent silence are inconsistent with Australian commitments.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

10 months

Le 14 juillet à l’ambassade de France à Canberra was precisely as delicious as you’d expect.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Rowan Callick on Australia-Taiwan ties: "Within Australia’s top 10 export partners, Canberra lacks a free-trade agreement with Taiwan alone. ... Casting around the region, few places so clearly share as many public-life values with Australia as Taiwan."

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Are Taiwan links doomed to end up as collateral damage?

New year, new China relationship. But what is it, what opportunities does it present, and what might it preclude? Might Australia’s promising range of relationships with Taiwan – now our fifth...

www.theaustralian.com.au

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

Coral Bell concluding her 2007 Lowy paper, The end of the Vasco da Gama era: ''As middle powers go, 🇦🇺 is exceptionally well endowed w/ both economic & strategic assets. ... There is no need to mourn the end of the unipolar world."

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

7 months

A move by 🇨🇳 to take 🇹🇼 by force would likely precipitate a severe 🇦🇺 foreign policy crisis. 🇦🇺 should explore economic deterrence measures & Albanese should warn Xi of the potential trade consequences for 🇨🇳. My latest for the SMH & other Nine papers:

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The warning Albanese must deliver to Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit China next month. His meeting with President Xi Jinping may be the most important of his political career.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Beautiful and important words from @yangyang_cheng : The below especially is so true to life. I feel seen.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Beijing to Canberra and Back (fortnight of 9 to 22 May): 1⃣ The forest of rhetorical olive branches that 🇨🇳 has offered 🇦🇺 2⃣ A high-level 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 meeting seems increasingly likely in 2022 3⃣ Emerging issues that will keep bilat rels broadly frosty

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Diplomatic olive branches and the decisions that divide

Fortnight of 9 to 22 May 2022

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 months

My latest for @The_ChinaStory on the role of policy compromise & tactical caution in the Albanese government's approach to managing the 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 relationship:

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Beijing to Canberra and Back (fortnight of 19 September to 2 October): 1⃣ 🇦🇺 starts calling out economic coercion again (readout of meeting w/🇪🇸) 2⃣ The costs/benefits of explicitly criticising 🇨🇳's economic coercion 3⃣ 🇦🇺 offers 🇨🇳 diplomatic compliments

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Resurrecting Australia's economic coercion concerns and complimentary China messaging

Fortnight of 19 September to 2 October 2022

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Beijing to Canberra and Back (weeks of 29 August to 18 September): 1⃣ 🇦🇺's high stakes (& probable?) targeted sanctions against 🇨🇳 2⃣ 🇦🇺's strategy for minimising the fallout of such sanctions 3⃣ A likely leader-level meeting between 🇦🇺 & 🇨🇳 in November

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Targeted sanctions against China and a leader-level meeting

Weeks of 29 August to 18 September 2022

beijing2canberra.substack.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 years

#Europe has lost #Russia as a partner + gained #Ukraine as a responsibility. Via @CarnegieEndow : http://t.co/ziawyjnfLB

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

9 months

A beautifully written and devastating essay: "Unfortunately for the Hui and many other minority groups, little seems to stand in the way of Xi and his bid to bulldoze a new China into being."

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The Last Minarets of Yunnan

China’s Hui Muslims in the cross hairs of Xi’s new nationalism.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

Writing abt 🇦🇺-🇨🇳 rels and keep on typing "anti-dumpling" rather than "anti-dumping". Send help/dumplings.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

1 year

“Allan described foreign policy as ‘much of the work of my life.’ … His work, and his life, set an example to which we would do well to aspire.” “He is gone now, and we mourn his loss. But, for all of us, the work remains.”

@limdarrenj

Darren Lim

1 year

I wrote about Allan and the podcast. And I guess myself, too:

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

10 months

A Chinese translation of 🇨🇳 Ambassador to 🇦🇺 Xiao Qian’s recent op-ed in the AFR is featured on the landing page of the MFA website. Another little datapoint that again seems to highlight the appetite for relationship repair in Beijing.

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

3 years

A cracker of an @NSC_ANU event tomorrow (6pm AEST) on the future of the Indo-Pacific & geopolitical + geoeconomic competition. All-star cast of @NMenonRao , Prof Akio Takahara & @ANUCrawford 's own @Rory_Medcalf . Register here:

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Indo-Pacific Futures

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

2 years

Working-level 🇦🇺-🇹🇼 engagement continues apace... "including exchanges between Safe Work Australia and Taiwan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Ministry of Labor, and the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission ... ."

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Benjamin Herscovitch 郝杰明

8 years

. @google legitimising #China 's land grab in the #SouthChinaSea ? Hong Kong Vs. Australian search. #NineDashLine

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