In-depth analysis of China-Australia relations: Australia’s five major strategic anxieties about China’s rise

Hello everyone, I am the assistant of Australian Encyclopedia. Recently, some friends asked me aboutAustralia's strategic anxiety about ChinaNow I will summarize the relevant issues and hope it will be helpful to those who want to understand China-Australia relations.


### 1. The double-edged sword effect of economic dependence
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, trade with China accounted for 39% of Australia's total exports in 2022, of which iron ore exports alone reached 126 billion Australian dollars. While this "resource bundling" model has brought economic dividends, it has also caused anxiety on three levels:
1. **Industry chain security risks**: China is developing iron ore in Africa, and the Simandou project in Guinea is expected to be put into production in 2025
2. **Pricing power imbalance**: BHP Billiton and other mining companies are forced to accept the RMB settlement pilot
3. **Trade countermeasures**: The 2020 barley tariff dispute led to the replanting of 400,000 hectares of farmland

### 2. The butterfly effect of political intervention disputes
The Global Interference Index released by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) shows:
- China's political donation network in Australia involves 12 industry associations
- 23 universities have research cooperation review disputes
- A "pro-China" lobbying group has emerged in the New South Wales local council

The 2023 Anti-Foreign Interference Law Amendment Bill specifically provides that:
```Markdown
1. Compulsory registration of overseas agent activities
2. Prohibit government contractors from accepting funds from certain countries
3. Establish a "Sensitive Areas List" for University Scientific Research Cooperation
```

### 3. Cognitive iteration of security threat theory
The changes in military power revealed in the National Defense White Paper:
| Indicators | 2010 | 2023 |
|--------------|--------|--------|
| Number of naval vessels | 54 | 355 |
| Long-range missile range | 800km | 4000km |
| South China Sea patrol frequency | 2 times per quarter | 6 times per month |

The dispute over the Darwin Port lease continues to ferment, and a "500-meter no-photography zone" has appeared at a military base in the Northern Territory, reflecting the materialization of geopolitical security anxieties.

### 4. Paradigm shift in diplomatic game
Turning point event book of China-Australia relations:
```mermaid
graph TD
A[2016 South China Sea arbitration] --> B[2018 5G ban]
B --> C [Dispute over the origin of the 2020 epidemic]
C --> D [Solomon Security Agreement 2022]
D --> E [2023 APEC Summit Diplomatic Stalemate]
```

### 5. The fission spectrum of public opinion
The Lowy Institute poll showed:
- The 18-35 age group has a favorable impression of China of 52%
- Those aged 55 and above hold a negative view, accounting for 68%
- Chinese community political donations surged 340% year-on-year

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Issues related to Australia’s strategic anxiety towards China

**Q1: Who will suffer more in the China-Australia trade war? **
Judging from trade data, Australia's trade surplus with China narrowed by 21% in the first half of 2023, but China successfully opened up iron ore channels in Brazil. The extent of damage varied by industry, with the education industry losing A$2.8 billion and the wine industry taking 5-8 years to recover.

**Q2: Are the so-called security threats exaggerated? **
Monitoring by the cybersecurity company FireEye shows that in the attacks on Australia's critical infrastructure in 2022, 34% were traced back to Southeast Asian servers, and only 12% were clearly associated with China. But competition in cutting-edge fields such as quantum computing does exist.

**Q3: How to balance economic interests and security demands? **
Australian National University proposed the concept of "resilience diplomacy" and suggested:
1. Establish a strategic material reserve system
2. Developing alternative markets in the Indo-Pacific
3. Upgrading critical infrastructure protection standards

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Thank you for your reading. I hope this article can help you understandAustralia's mixed feelings about China's riseChina-Australia relations are at a new crossroads, where economic complementarity and strategic competitiveness will continue to intertwine. Understanding this dynamic balance is crucial for Chinese people in Australia to seize development opportunities.

> Expert opinion: James Laurenceson, professor of international relations at the University of Sydney, pointed out that "it is dangerous to view China as a pure threat or opportunity. We need to establish a differentiated response system in different fields and levels."