Dear Prime Minister
Australia’s Prime Minister has just announced an order of 8 nuclear submarines from an American/English/Australian conglomerate agreement, a staggering AU$380B for 8 nuclear submarines, to be delivered some time within the next 30 years. Worse, this follows the appearance of three articles in respected newspapers in Sydney and Melbourne just days prior to the announcement, proclaiming “Red Alert” and the threat China poses. The articles postulate, inter alia, that war is imminent in the next 3 years and the flashpoint will be over Taiwan. This will then lead to an invasion of US allies (Australia) and wholesale destruction. The following is the full text of an edited version I sent to Australia’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Anthony Albanese.
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing out of a mixture of deep concern, sadness, and disappointment.
I am a Life Member of the Australian Labor Party Victorian Branch and have been involved in the Labor Party since I was a teenager. In my professional life, I have had the honour of serving two Labor Prime Ministers (Gillard and Rudd) and four Victorian Premiers (Kirner, Bracks, Brumby and Andrews). I am one of the longest-serving Presidents of the Victorian Labor Multicultural Affairs Policy Committee and had the privilege of consulting and helping the then-Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. John Pandazopoulos, frame the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001. I was also one of the two founders of Labor for Refugees, an internal Labor group dedicated to recognising and freeing those coming to our shores as refugees and asylum seekers.
In my private life, I have been President for the past six years of the Australia-China Friendship Society (ACFS). I am also the Secretary-General of the Pacific-China Friendship Association (PCFA), where I talk weekly with those from 16 Pacific Island member-nations about their concerns.
It was with high hopes that I heard of Senator Penny Wong’s appointment as Foreign Minister. As a Chinese, I was heartened that at the highest level, Australia was being represented by an Asian so clear minded and forthright. While initially disappointed at the glacial speed of rapprochement with China and breaking down the barricades of the past decade, I still had faith that much of the sabre-rattling and bellicose language would cease. Unfortunately, this was not to be.
With the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment during COVID, the despicable violence and threatening behaviour reminded me of the dark days of the Cold War. My parents endured racism of the worst kind in the 60s, and it appeared none of the vitriol has disappeared when it became my turn to bear that particular burden. In a bizarre way, it prepared me for the onslaught with COVID. Yet again were the filthy, obscene, threatening emails. Yet again was the public abuse, and the almost comical avoidance of me in the street. Yet again were the shouted exhortations for me to go back to where I came from, which is ironic because I was born in Australia! And now this, a three-day war-fest of China-bashing and fear-mongering of the worst kind, in publications considered to be newspapers of record. I was hoping this sort of rhetoric would be beneath people now, but obviously, I am gravely mistaken. The Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers have much to answer for, with these hysterical, hyperbolic articles.
Prime Minister, this letter is not about asking you to directly take on the members of the Fourth (or Fifth) Estate. Given the unblemished record of famed publications of the Murdoch Empire, they are obviously beyond reproach and far from the reach of mere government (sic). Furthermore, with such an amazing diversity of media ownership here in Australia, we have a plurality of views which more than adequately reflect modern, progressive policy (sic). Sarcasm aside, my request of you goes to the very heart of truth and evidence, not speculation and partisan rhetoric.
I will not enter a line, chapter, and verse exegesis of the Nine Network/Age/SMH articles. I will not bore you with a line-by-line rebuttal of every specious point these so-called experts make in their three “Red Alert” articles. Rather, I take their assertions in broad terms, as against the facts.
The first belief is that Australia is in clear and present danger with imminent war, and indeed unavoidable, within three years. One of the key arguments for the urgency of Chinese invasion, was China is “weakening”. From where on earth did they glean that information, with China posting 5%+ growth? Furthermore, on the back of more emerging nations accepting and embracing the BRI, including the 16 members of the PCFA, China is gaining more allies and economic supply routes. This is hardly the dying gasps of a foundering country.
The second tenet is Australia could or would be invaded. Why? What possibly could China gain further from Australia which they could not do by expending *nothing* apart from trading? Moreover, as Hannibal, Napoleon, and the great Sun Tzu himself (“The Art of War”) postulate, the longer the supply and communication lines, the more certain your defeat. Why travel 9002km with troops when you can phone in an order and have it delivered? Also given everyone in Australia depends on Chinese goods for communication, survival, sustenance and comfort, it’s a bit late now to whine about being overtaken by China!
The third point is the dichotomous viewpoints from our closest ally, the USA, where their intel community said on 8 March, 2023, that China doesn’t want war and is unlikely to so prosecute. On the other hand, we have Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Richard Marles, with an opposing view. There appears to be a lack of synchronicity and I leave it to you to sift through the differences, but there are obviously enough to be of concern if we are to let slip the Dogs of War.
My fourth item is one of probity and independence. Analysing the backgrounds of those who have commented for these articles, they all have links to ASPI or other similarly biased think tanks. A cursory investigation reveals links which are far from neutral. That all five commentators should come from the same side is far from surprising, but extremely disappointing in terms of transparency and range of opinion, for that is what this is. There is no nuance or debate.
My final point is an internal Labor one which we both understand. I participated in the anti-Vietnam War Moratoria protests. My mentor was former Deputy Prime Minister, the late Dr Jim Cairns, a contemporary and friend of my parents at Melbourne University, and a founder of the precursor to the ACFS. He, and another of my mentors, former Cabinet Minister the late Tom Uren, did not tolerate the injustice, hatred, and bigotry. Both understood the inhumanity of empire politics, and both fought with a passion against it. I believe those two were amongst the vanguard of progressive, humane, politics, which is what I thought the Labor Party represented. By permitting this so-called commentary by those enmeshed in the parochial field of American politics, the views race away from objectivity and independence to ones shrieking of danger and paranoia. This is not the Australia in which I wish to live, and I truly believe it is not the Australia of which you dream.
Labor is different. Labor is thoughtful and Labor has always stood for peaceful coexistence. Now we must show leadership as we have in other areas and flourish alongside nations rather than preparing for some confected war where the alleged opponent has shown us no enmity. I and most Chinese in Australia look to you to salve the wounds and begin the national healing by stopping the words of aggression.
Yours in friendship
