O75 Public Administration

Worry about Japan not China, says Beijing’s top envoy in Australia

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Age – Page: Online : 11-Jan-23

China’s ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian says the relationship between the two nations is at "a critical stage of turnaround". Xiao has claimed that the AUKUS alliance is targeting China and buying nuclear-powered submarines will not solve Australia’s security concerns. Xiao contends that Japan is a greater military threat than his nation, given that Japan has never officially apologised for its conduct during World War II, including the bombing of Darwin and the mistreatment of prisoners of war. He argues that the lack of an apology means that Japan could potentially go to war with Australia again. However, Australia and Japan have established close security ties in recent decades.

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Labor urged to keep golden ticket investor visa primarily used by Chinese migrants

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 10-Jan-23

The Productivity Commission recommended abolishing the significant investor visa in 2016, and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated in September 2022 that the visa could be scrapped because it is not "adding value" to Australia. However, the Australia China Business Council has used its submission to a migration review to argue that these visas can generate significant economic benefits and should be retained. Some 2,300 significant investor visas have been granted since 2012, with migrants from Chinese receiving some 85 per cent of them.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION,AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS,AUSTRALIA CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL

More older Australians working than ever before, data reveals

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Original article by Noah Yim
The Daily Telegraph – Page: Online : 10-Jan-23

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that five per cent of the nation’s workers – some 689,900 people – were aged 65+ in November 2022. This compares with 619,800 in November 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Independent economist Chris Richardson notes that employers had to reconsider the value of older workers during the pandemic, due to the historically low unemployment rate and the lack of access to younger workers from overseas. He adds that Australia’s shift to a service economy means the physical negatives of ageing are now much less of a problem than in the past.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Secret briefings triggered US senators’ dramatic AUKUS intervention

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Age – Page: Online : 10-Jan-23

It has been disclosed that officials from AUKUS working groups provided confidential briefings in December to US congressional leaders on the process of negotiations to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS treaty. It can be revealed that the briefings prompted Democrats Senator Jack Reed and Republican Senator James Inhofer of the Senate Armed Services Committee to write to President Joe Biden expressing their concerns about the implications of the AUKUS treaty, with the two warning that there should be no sale of transfer of Virginia-class submarines to Australia until the current requirements of the US Navy are fulfilled.

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Beware of the sting in China’s tale

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 10-Jan-23

Japan’s ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami has welcomed the apparent improvement in relations between Australia and China that led to Foreign Minister Penny Wong visiting Beijing in December. He noted that Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is also planning a trip to China after years of strained relations between the two countries. However, he claims that China’s more constructive tone is yet to be matched by a change in its behaviour, and that both Australia and Japan need to remain "vigilant" towards China.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

State coal power to reap $500m-plus

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Original article by Max Maddison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 4-Jan-23

Households and small businesses will receive some $1.5bn in price relief via the federal government’s energy plan, which will cap gas and coal prices. Coal-fired power generators will in turn be entitled to compensation over the decision to cap coal prices at $125 per tonne. It has been estimated that coal-fired power stations in New South Wales could receive about $500m in compensation, with their Queensland counterparts could potentially be entitled to $750m in compensation. Independent senator David Pocock has criticised the government in the wake of revelations that mining company Rio Tinto and its partners could receive around $450m in compensation because they own the Gladstone power station.

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RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

China’s Covid payback threat

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Original article by Greg Brown,Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 4-Jan-23

A growing number of countries will require travellers from China to undergo pre-flight testing for COVID-19. However, Chinese authorities believe that such measures are not necessary, and foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has warned that the nation will take reciprocal action against countries that impose testing requirements that apply only to travellers from China. Meanwhile, the federal government has released more details of its new rules for travellers from China, which take effect from Thursday. Amongst other things, they will have to test negative for the coronavirus 48 hours before departure, and people who use a rapid antigen test must have it administered and supervised by a medical practitioner.

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‘Safety first’: business leader backs virus testing for China

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Original article by Georgie Moore
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 4-Jan-23

Former Australia-China Council chairman Warwick Smith has expressed support for the federal government’s move to impose COVID-19 testing requirements on travellers from China. Smith does not expect it to have any impact on the ability of Australian companies to do business in China, amid signs of improving relations between the two nations. He adds that other countries are adopting similar measures. Meanwhile, the Opposition has questioned the government’s decision to ignore the advice of Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, who does not believe that the new testing requirements are necessary.

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AUSTRALIA-CHINA COUNCIL,AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Albanese plan has dealt a blow to east coast gas supply

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 23-Dec-22

APPEA CEO Samantha McCulloch has warned that the federal government’s intervention in the energy market will deter future investment and affect gas supply on the east coast. She adds that Senex Energy’s decision to put a $1bn expansion of its Surat Basin projects on hold is exactly what the industry warned about when the government moved to impose gas price caps. However, the intervention has been defended by Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who argues that Australian industries would have collapsed in 2023 if Labor had taken no action.

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AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, SENEX ENERGY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

RBA’s rapid rate rises questioned by parliament

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 23-Dec-22

The House of Representatives’ economics committee has been reviewing the Reserve Bank of Australia, with its report being issued on 22 December. The committee has noted that the RBA is not solely responsible for bringing down inflation, with the committee observing that community and business expectations about inflation also have an influence; the committee stated the RBA needs to take these expectation into account both when setting interest rates and when signalling its monetary policy intentions. The committee stated it expects the RBA to analyse where demand inflation is strongest and what impact interest rate rises were having.

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AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA