Australia's China Odyssey: From Euphoria To Fear

by James Curran

Australia’s China Odyssey is the story of the complex and crucial relationship between Australia and China, charting its highs and lows through the prism of the prime ministers who have handled relations with Beijing since Whitlam in 1972.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Australia, China

320 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2022

About the author

James Curran is Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths College, London. He has published over 18 books, including Culture Wars: The Media and British Left (with Ivor Gaber and Julian Petley) (Edinburgh University Press, 2005), Power without Responsibility (with Jean Seaton), 6th edition (Routledge, 2003), Mass Media and Society (ed. with Michael Gurevitch), 4th edition (Arnold, 2005) and Media and Power (Routledge, 2002).

Reviews

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A colleague once described Australia's approach to foreign relations as bouncing between "mouthy" and "needy". Or, as quoted at the press club recently, Australia's foreign policy is either “useful idiocy or useful innocence”. This book aptly demonstrates this in practice, showing how Australia got to this point in it's relationship with China and how the history of the Australia-China relationship has evolved.

This is a refreshing read, especially against the backdrop of countless jingoistic and often bellicose writing about Australia's approach to interacting with China. Curran's analysis is evidence-based, even handed and compelling.

This clear eyed account of Australia-China relations is interesting and compelling. The sections covering pre and post WWII are interesting, those covering post Whitlam's visit and Australia's engagement in the opening of China are compelling, and the sections covering recent history are enlightening. The author's approach cuts through the polemics that seem to characterise Australia's approach to interacting with China of late.

Highly recommended.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Fear and greed' were the indiscreet words of Tony Abbott when asked by Angela Merkel in 2014 what drives Australian policy towards China. As outlined by this book, Abbott's response perfectly sums up the history of Australia-China relations.

This insightful book encompasses Australian attitudes towards China from colonial times to the present. During this time the Australian view of China wavered between a xenophobic fear of an 'Asian invasion' and the euphoric opportunity to get rich. The result is a bipolar policy approach to China: strengthening the alliance with the United States to protect against China, Australia's largest trading partner.

The common thread throughout the book is Australia's insecurity. This insecurity stems from the ongoing colonial mindset that sees Australia as an isolated developed under-populated 'Western' nation vulnerable to the populous and chaotic Asia to its near north. In the 1980s and early 1990s Australian leaders tried to change this attitude by, in the words of Paul Keating, seeking security in Asia rather than from Asia. This approach did not last. Since 2014 Australia's relations with China have soured and Australian foreign and defence policy has taken on the cold war mentality of ensuring US engagement to contain authoritarian China. Indeed, Australian leaders have raised the prospect of war.

I found the most interesting part of the book to be the discussion on why Australia, as a middle power, has been so far ahead of the rest of the world, including the US, in calling out China's economic and military aggression. As outlined by senior Australian officials, the aim is to explain to the world that China seeks to 'cut the same deal with the Australian people that it cuts with its own: the doling out of economic benefits in exchange for political compliance'. They argue that 'If we call China out, this is a way of threatening the regime in Beijing...By doing this, Canberra can exploit Beijing's sensitivity to being ganged up on by the region'. This explains Australia's megaphone diplomacy. However, such an approach only works if you carry a big stick, which is where Australia's shoring up of the US alliance and the establishment of the AUKUS and the Quad becomes relevant.

The reason I gave this book four stars is because the author barely takes into account the Chinese perspective. Plenty of space is given to the thinking of US policymakers, but comparatively nothing of Chinese decision-making (although this may be due to the secretive authoritarian nature of the CCP). Consequently, I couldn't help but feel that this is a somewhat one-sided history of Australia's relations with China.

[Kym Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written account of the history of Australia’s political engagement with China. Being reasonably fluent in the last 20 years or so of Australian, Chinese, and USA political history is ideal to be be able to understand what is being discussed.

I thought the book could have gone into more detail about the history of the PRC’s initial engagement with the world—particularly the Taiwan issue; it is suggested that US intransigence prevented an early settlement of this issue but also it is suggested that when Australia recognised the PRC it was necessary to un-recognise Taiwan—but was it? Also, the change in China (for the worse) recently and particularly under Xi Jinping is only briefly canvassed. Many other events are simply listed but shorn of context as the author keeps a relentlessly tight focus on only discussing the Australian political engagement with China—in some respects admirable but it leaves you wanting more discussion on some issues.

It was also interesting to see the level to which the Canberra defence and bureaucratic establishments have been completely overtaken by hawkishness on China (with the possible exception of DFAT when under Frances Adamson) and how this shapes government policy to China, and how Australia has not just uncritically taken on the USA position on China, but at times has been out front in leading with the (mostly correct) hawkish judgements. The author’s position is that China has done some egregious things in terms of geopolitics, but questions whether it is always worth jeopardising our political and trade relationships with China to call these out or to take the positions that we have.

The author also doesn’t have any ideological axe to grind or advocate for any particular position which is good, but the end of the book would have benefitted from a discussion of the different options open to the new Labor government even without advocating for any particular position.

Overall: recommended.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curran chronicles the Australia-Chinese relationship throughout its tumultuous and diverse history. Whilst Curran curses over the relationship between the countries before Gough Whitlam's decision to recognise the People Republic of China and establish diplomatic relationship, the books focuses on the relationship beginning with Whitlam. Each Prime Minister is reserved there own chapter, in which Curran distinguishes the foreign policy of each prime minister, albeit the distinctions lack clarity in the Rudd-Gillard-Abbott years.

Curran unmistakably brings with him his academic experiences when writing the book. As such, the book is meticulously research and comes with endless citations. Despite the academic orientation and presentation, the books is rather compelling. It is filled with unique stories and remarks, which
together weave a fascinating story of the relationship.

One particularly fascinating points of the author is that each prime minister believes to have a unique relationship with the Chinese. For Howard, it came post his prime ministership in his memoirs, whereas, Rudd claimed it during the relationship that his Chinese expertise made him have a unique relationship and Hawke claims his personality endowed such relationship. Perhaps, this is just another expression of the egotistical nature of politicians though.

Ultimately, Curran posits that the relationship is the healthiest when the US is distracted, whether that be with Russia, the end of the cold war of the war on terror. Each of these periods lead to a flourishing of the relationship. Otherwise when the US is focused on the Chinese, Australia feels compelled to project themselves as the toughest on the Chinese to quell their insecurities in the US-Australia relationship.

[Matthias Eyford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charts the historical course of Australia's diplomatic, economic and cultural relationship with China since the beginning of 20th century but more formally since the establishment of the formal diplomatic relationship in the 1970s (circa Nixon's visit).

Read the book mainly to get acquainted with recent Australian political history and geopolitics seen from the lens of a Western-oriented regional power that is increasingly isolated as non-aligned / BRICS powers gain economic heft in the APAC region and as America continues to evaluate its resource commitment abroad.

Highlights the difficult geopolitical maneuvering a regional power like Australia (or Canada for that matter) must do to acquiesce on one hand its ultimate security guarantor and on another its largest export partner - all underscored by the vicissitudes of regime change inherent in democracy.

[Fin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written and authoritative account of Australia-China relations in the 20th and 21st century. This book is very good background on the course of the relationship, and contains some interesting insight into, among other things, the closeness among the Chinese and Australian leadership in different periods (particularly during the Hawke years). While the book is sometimes lacking in colour, Curran is a good writer and provides a nuanced account without resorting to overstatement or unnecessary detail. It would be interesting to read a similar account by Curran of Australia-US ties in more recent decades.

[Erin Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very, very interesting. Laid out chronologically it does a great overview of Australian-China relations since the Whitlam and Fraser days which is very handy for any other millennial dilettantes. the postscript on what's ahead for Albo is very intriguing. Will now reread Emma Shortis' similar one on the US relationship which is a great complement.

[angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who isn't in the political sphere, this book is a tough one to read without prior context.

Very informative. I can garner an appreciation for how far we've come from our colonial past views on China to now. But, probably something I'll have to revisit once I've gained more knowledge on the topic of Australia - China relations.

[Melissa Stebbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting, well-written account of Australian policy and attitudes to China in the 20th and 21st centuries, a topic I knew little about.

[Zac McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian politicians and journalists would learn a lot by reading this. Excellent book from one of the only sensible foreign affairs commentators in Australia’s media

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longlisted Australian Political Book of 2023