by LUKE MONTGOMERY ZUNGA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – CHINESE Prime Minister Li Quiang visited Australia and New Zealand, a sign of warming Sino-Ausie-Kiwi relations.
This is significant recognition that China is a global player and Australia’s biggest trading country.
The trend is growing where China is accepted as a world leader, comparable to the stature usually bestowed to the United States of America. Recently the Chinese President Xi Jinping visited France, something previously unheard of.
These visits are an acknowledgement of China’s peaceful, unassertive posture on world events and acceptance by Western aligned players of a new powerhouse.
Li Quiang spent four days in Australia discussing with the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra, and lunch with government officials, business leaders and the opposition in Australia.
Discussions ranged from electric vehicles, migration, artificial intelligence (AI), trade and industry, security, mining investments, the war in Ukraine and Gaza, and any leverages China can play, not forgetting the Panda diplomacy.
Surrounded by the BRICS belt of Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Saud Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, cannot be ignored. The sun is rising, and Australia, New Zealand and France are acknowledging.
Countries align to the United States because it is the biggest power and these nations benefit from finance, trade and security associations, creating the Western belt. But diplomatically, the United States overplayed its dominance to the extent that US partners cannot make own decisions. Decisions come from the United States alone.
Europe is politically crippled because it must play to the tune of the United States. The war in Ukraine, dubbed “a fight for freedom”, is clear example of the United States imposing its desire. Sanctions on Russia hurt European countries as well.
Thousands of Ukrainians have died, and millions displaced by a war of dominance? American military, financial and moral support for Israel has caused the demolition of Gaza and Palestinians. American politics is tracking that of Hitler.
The United States had told Australia to stop Chinese investments in mining of certain rare and lithium deposits in Australia. Australia stopped Chinese investments.
Disagreements brewed between Australia and China leading to a ban of Australian wine to China, causing losses of not less than A$20 billion. President Biden had visited Vietnam recently and was bitter when Russia visited the same.
Western allies are looking for free thinking. They are looking for independence. There are benefits of association, not only with the United States but also with China and others.
Africa is urged to rise up and compete, which it fails to do because the politicians are dominated by Ivy League technocrats, pandering to Imperial powers.
Politicians in Africa must emulate China which crossed technocratic no-go area, to finance startups, which led to growth of its economy from US$564 billion in 1994 to US$19.1 trillion in 2024.
However, the African technocrats still turn blind eyes, because an imperial poison was fed into them.
NB: Luke Montgomery Zunga is researcher and economist at the South African Development Foundation.
– CAJ News