Taking Stock at Fifty

The first four decades of diplomatic relations between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) proceeded largely along an upward trajectory. Increasing institutional, economic, cultural, and other links drew the two countries and peoples closer. There have been times of friction, including a period of several years after the killing of prodemocracy protesters on the streets of Beijing in 1989. But these have generally been followed by periods of rebuilding: Deng Xiaoping’s reaffirmation of the economic reforms in 1992 led to an economic resurgence that saw a boom in Australian exports to China of iron ore, among other things, and with them, Australian goodwill towards the PRC. The thrust of the most recent decade, however, has been downwards. ; Full Text