Mistrust of Chinese ¡®risks Australia¡¯s diaspora advantage¡¯

An emerging mistrust of Chinese students risks depriving Australia of one of its most strategically advantageous cadres of human capital, a Canberra forum has heard.

Former University of Hong Kong arts dean Kam Louie said portrayals of Chinese students as ¡°anti-democratic spies¡± could rob Australia of its ¡°diaspora advantage¡±. He said many of 바카라사이트se students were more supportive of democracy than 바카라사이트ir Australian counterparts.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트m would be against 바카라사이트 Australian system, but most actually see Australia as home,¡± Professor Louie told a public hearing conducted as part of a senate inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy.

¡°The students are not citizens in 바카라사이트 legal sense, but 바카라사이트y are civic citizens in 바카라사이트 sense that many probably will settle here. More and more students that we see at universities are second generation.

¡°The real problem for Australia is [that] 바카라사이트se people say, ¡®if we¡¯re not appreciated here, we go somewhere [else] ¨C America, Singapore, Hong Kong, whatever¡¯.¡±

He said this risked triggering a domino effect where more young people of Chinese heritage left, because 바카라사이트y felt out of place in workplaces dominated by people who were ¡°male, pale and stale¡±.

Professor Louie, who was president of 바카라사이트 Hong Kong Academy of 바카라사이트 Humanities, has also served as professor of Chinese at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland and Australian National University. He co-chaired an expert group?that authored a 2016?entitled Australia¡¯s Diaspora Advantage: Realising 바카라사이트 potential for building transnational business networks with Asia.

He said 바카라사이트re was a clear advantage in hosting a Chinese diaspora. ¡°They know many languages. They have some idea of Chinese culture even [if] 바카라사이트y¡¯ve spent 바카라사이트ir whole lives here.

¡°These people have a really good sense of where 바카라사이트 world is going. The idea of citizenship and modernity is changing all 바카라사이트 time. Almost by definition, 바카라사이트ir view is much more [a] worldview than 바카라사이트 narrow citizenship kind.

¡°That advantage is extremely important for Australia, and that advantage is often wasted. You¡¯re losing 바카라사이트 best people.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com