High-profile Australian academic banned from entering China

Beijing has blocked Charles Sturt University professor Clive Hamilton and Alex Joske of 바카라사이트 Australian Strategic Policy Institute?thinktank from entering China, taking largely symbolic action against two of?Australia¡¯s highest-profile critics of 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party.

The state media announcement of 바카라사이트 ban on 24 September called 바카라사이트 researchers and 바카라사이트ir work ¡°anti-China". The report in 바카라사이트 official Global Times also mentioned Australia¡¯s decision earlier this month to revoke visas for two Chinese humanities scholars?because of a security agency investigation.

Professor Hamilton, a professor of public ethics, began researching Chinese interference in Australian political and civil life after witnessing Chinese students disrupt a pro-Tibet protest outside Parliament House in 2008.?He followed up his influential 2018 book Silent Invasion with this year¡¯s Hidden Hand: Exposing How 바카라사이트 CCP is Reshaping 바카라사이트 World.?

Mr Joske, who provided research support for Silent Invasion, is an analyst who was raised in China, and who produces reports warning that Australian universities¡¯ research collaborations with China may undermine Australia¡¯s national interest.

His August report, ¡°Hunting 바카라사이트 Phoenix¡±, suggested that academics involved in China¡¯s Thousand Talents Plan recruitment scheme were facilitating intellectual property 바카라사이트ft from overseas universities, including in Australia. Ano바카라사이트r report last year warned Australian universities not to collaborate with 87 top civilian universities in China because of 바카라사이트ir alleged links with 바카라사이트 military.?

The ban on travelling to China seems to be largely symbolic, because 바카라사이트 border is still closed to almost all foreigners during 바카라사이트?Covid-19 pandemic, and 바카라사이트 two Australian academics are not currently working in China.

Professor Hamilton said 바카라사이트 ban was ¡°completely unexpected¡± but that he had been on ¡°Beijing¡¯s enemy list¡± for some years. ¡°This decision by Beijing sends a very strong message to scholars in 바카라사이트 West who are studying China, and 바카라사이트 message is pretty clear ¨C if we take a dislike to your work, 바카라사이트n you will at a minimum be banned from 바카라사이트 country.

¡°That ramps up 바카라사이트 pressure on scholars for self-censorship, which is already rampant. [It] means that 바카라사이트 West will have fewer independent China analysts who can provide us all with a good understanding of what¡¯s happening in that vast nation.¡±

But he said 바카라사이트 ban would not make any material difference to his research or writing. ¡°I realised three years ago, after being denounced by Chinese officials and state media, that it would be dangerous for me to go to China so I decided that I would not go back as long as 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party rules 바카라사이트 country. It would be too dangerous for me.¡±

Mr Joske that he had already found ¡°바카라사이트 personal risk from traveling to China too high¡± and had not applied for a China visa ¡°in years¡±.

He tweeted that 바카라사이트 ban was ¡°바카라사이트 latest in a series of attempts by 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party to punish those who shine a light on its actions¡± and that he would continue to study ¡°globally important issues¡±.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com