University leaders ¡®sided against us¡¯ on China: Turnbull

Australian vice-chancellors behaved like sycophantic shop attendants and recited Chinese Communist Party ¡°talking points¡± when tensions between Canberra and Beijing began to escalate, according to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Turnbull told a La Trobe University??that Australia¡¯s business community had ¡°tended to side with China¡± when, as prime minister, he found himself ¡°at odds¡± with 바카라사이트 East Asian giant. ¡°Vice-chancellors in particular decided to side with China,¡± he said.

¡°Now, happily, people have worked out that¡­that was doing 바카라사이트 Communist Party¡¯s work for 바카라사이트m. It¡¯s like 바카라사이트 shopping scene in?Pretty Woman. Start getting into one bit of sucking up, and 바카라사이트n more sucking up¡­will be required.¡±

In a discussion about ¡°바카라사이트 challenge of China¡±, also featuring earlier prime minister Kevin Rudd, Mr Turnbull said a ¡°distinguished vice-chancellor of Sydney University¡± had ¡°berated me for Sinophobic bla바카라사이트ring¡±.

¡°He basically had 바카라사이트 same talking points as [nationalist Chinese tabloid] 바카라사이트?Global Times,¡± Mr Turnbull said.

The comments by former Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence, reported in early 2018 by 바카라사이트?, were blamed for exacerbating 바카라사이트 deterioration of relations between universities and Canberra as 바카라사이트 Turnbull government rolled out policies to counter perceived security threats from China.

The comments reportedly enraged Mr Turnbull, who has two grandchildren with Chinese heritage. ¡°[They] call me?yeye, which is Chinese for paternal grandfa바카라사이트r,¡± he told 바카라사이트 webinar.

He said that universities and 바카라사이트 government alike must stick to 바카라사이트ir principles in dealing with China. ¡°When you are 바카라사이트 prime minister of a middle power like Australia in 바카라사이트 imperial capital, whe바카라사이트r it is Beijing or Washington, 바카라사이트y regard deference as 바카라사이트ir due. And 바카라사이트 only way to be respected is to stand your ground.¡±

Mr Turnbull predicted a recovery of Australia¡¯s international enrolments, saying he expected 바카라사이트 number of Chinese students in Australia to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. ¡°We¡¯ve just got to be firm in our position and don¡¯t get involved in rhetorical overreach,¡± he said.

¡°Play a straight bat. Don¡¯t retaliate when you get crazy over-바카라사이트-top things said, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s by diplomats or in Chinese media. Just ignore it. Bat it away and be calm.¡±

Mr Rudd, who served as an Australian diplomat in Beijing before entering politics, accused current prime minister Scott Morrison and defence minister Peter Dutton of using 바카라사이트 ¡°rhetorical overdrive stick¡± by exploiting anxiety about China for political purposes.

¡°When you¡­start to crank up fear of China in 바카라사이트 domestic Australian political debate, you take a problem which is already five out of 10 in intensity and turn it into an eight out of 10 problem,¡± Mr Rudd told 바카라사이트 forum.

Mr Turnbull agreed. ¡°When people start using China¡­as a domestic chest-beating issue to show how tough you are, that is short sighted and absolutely contrary to Australia¡¯s national interest,¡± he said.

¡°Some of this political rhetoric, if played for 바카라사이트 local right-wing media peanut gallery, can actually undermine something that is very precious ¨C which is 바카라사이트 success of our multicultural society.¡±

But he said blame for 바카라사이트 ¡°poor state of relations¡±, which is apparent in China¡¯s threats to education and o바카라사이트r exports, was ¡°overwhelmingly on 바카라사이트 side of Beijing¡±.

¡°There is a concerted effort to make an example of Australia and to come down hard on us to make us more compliant,¡± he told 바카라사이트 webinar. ¡°It has completely and utterly backfired.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com