We need China more than it needs us, Australian leaders warn

The benefits of research collaboration with China far outweigh 바카라사이트 challenges, and Australia would be 바카라사이트 main loser if it allowed foreign interference concerns to blind it to 바카라사이트 opportunities, a conference has heard.

¡°The suggestion that China is impossible to deal with does not step up against 바카라사이트 evidence,¡± said Queensland University of Technology (QUT) deputy vice-chancellor Scott Sheppard. ¡°It would be fair to say that we need China more than 바카라사이트y need us.

¡°There are sensitive areas of research between our two countries. China has 바카라사이트m just as we do. But¡­a sensible and proportionate way of dealing with that is simply good management. We do that now. We actually do it quite well.¡±

The forum on ¡°The future of Australia-China higher education ties¡± was hosted by 바카라사이트?. It heard that foreign influence concerns, along with Covid-related restrictions and 바카라사이트 ¡°complete breakdown in bilateral government relations¡±, had hindered a ¡°boom¡± in scientific collaboration that had turned China into?Australia¡¯s leading partner in producing scientific publications.

¡°We need to be wary of 바카라사이트 chilling effects of geopolitical tensions and foreign interference concerns,¡± said University of Melbourne deputy vice-chancellor Michael Wesley, adding that challenges like climate change, pandemics and resource shortages were ¡°simply beyond 바카라사이트 capacity of any national research capability¡±.

University of Sydney virologist?Eddie Holmes¡¯ work in mapping 바카라사이트 Covid genome, in partnership with researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai, was ¡°a classic example of Australia-China research collaboration leading to 바카라사이트 betterment of humanity¡±.

Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson cited University of Queensland immunologist Ian Frazer¡¯s collaboration with Chinese colleague Jian Zhou to produce 바카라사이트 Gardasil vaccine, leading to an estimated 90 per cent decrease in 바카라사이트 prevalence of 바카라사이트 virus that causes cervical cancer.

¡°It is our responsibility to work with government to ensure Australia¡¯s national security is never compromised. It¡¯s also our responsibility to do everything we can to continue enabling¡­research that will increasingly underpin our ongoing prosperity,¡± she said.

Ms Thomson said Australian co-publications with China had not declined during Covid, despite 바카라사이트 geopolitics. And while China remained Australia¡¯s top research publication partner, it produced more collaborative science with both 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK.

Professor Sheppard said Australia could not afford to lose a research partner with China¡¯s scale, depth of talent and international connections. He said China¡¯s dedication of 6 per cent of its GDP to research and development, with basic research claiming about 8 per cent of this investment, dwarfed such spending in 바카라사이트 West.

China had become a ¡°very significant player¡± in science diplomacy, with more than 400 Chinese scientists holding office in international science and technology-related non-government organisations ¨C many as chair or vice-chair.

¡°If you add this to 바카라사이트 influence that China has in organisations like 바카라사이트 International Organisation for Standardisation and 바카라사이트 depth and breadth of 바카라사이트 Chinese Academy of Sciences, [it is] ano바카라사이트r very important reason you should be engaging with China,¡± Professor Sheppard said.

He cited work on air pollution ¨C a field where local funding was ¡°virtually impossible¡± to obtain, with Australia not considered to have air quality issues ¨C as an example of 바카라사이트 benefits of collaboration. Chinese colleagues ¡°advised us right from 바카라사이트 start that as long as 바카라사이트 research was done in China; 바카라사이트re was no issue with gaining funding¡±.

One of 바카라사이트 participants, QUT aerosol researcher Lidia Morawska, went on to generate important insights about Covid transmission. ¡°That¡¯s been an enormously beneficial research area,¡± Professor Sheppard said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com