‘Fight together': Britain warns on China, backs Australia
Australians are cautious about the nature of the nation's strategic challenge with China, with 28 per cent of voters saying in March 2023 that it and Russia pose threats that need to be confronted soon.
The results, in the Resolve Political Monitor for this masthead, found that 52 per cent thought China and Russia were threats that could be managed carefully over time.
Deterrent effect
The Resolve Political Monitor found that a clear majority of Australians did not want to side with the US against China, when asked in the days after Donald Trump won the US presidential election last November.
The respondents were asked if they believed Australia should avoid taking sides in any conflict between the US and China. The survey found that 57 per cent agreed, 16 per cent disagreed, and the remainder were unsure.
The UK has made a significant show of force with its contribution to Talisman Sabre this year, sending 3000 personnel at a time when some in the Trump administration have questioned why it should send forces to the Indo-Pacific.
The aircraft carrier was accompanied by an air-defence destroyer and a tanker.
Lammy warned on the weekend that China had to be challenged on its conduct with the UK and other countries, as he blamed it for espionage, repression in Hong Kong and helping allies such as Russia, Iran and North Korea.
The UK Foreign Secretary echoed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by saying the goal was to work with China while disagreeing when necessary.
'We wanted a consistent position on China where we would co-operate what we can, but we would absolutely challenge where we must,' he said.
Albanese has often said: 'We should co-operate where we can, disagree where we must.'
Lammy named China's actions in recent days, when Hong Kong authorities offered cash to anyone who would help them arrest pro-democracy activists in other countries, as an example of 'transnational repression' that should stop.
Loading
'We challenge China on their espionage in the UK; we are hugely concerned about the sanctioning of members of parliament. We have big issues with transnational repression,' he said in a question-and-answer session with Lowy Institute executive director Michael Fullilove.
'So we have very tough issues that I have raised continually with [Foreign Minister] Wang Yi and the Chinese.'
At the same time, he said, he wanted to co-operate with China on climate change, world health and trade.
Lammy said he had presented Chinese leaders with a list of their companies helping Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine.
'I've been in Kyiv, I've seen the shells that have come from North Korea, killing Europeans,' he said during remarks to the Lowy Institute on Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
12 minutes ago
- The Age
A seized $500 million Russian super yacht is up for sale amid fight over who actually owns it
The United States is auctioning off the $US325 million ($500 million) yacht Amadea, its first sale of a seized Russian luxury ship since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The auction, which closes September 10, comes as President Donald Trump seeks to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. The US has said it's working with allies to put pressure on Russian oligarchs, some of whom are close to Putin and have had their yachts seized, to try to compel him to stop the war. The 106-metre-long yacht, seized three years ago and currently docked in San Diego, was custom-built by the German company Lürssen in 2017. Designed by François Zuretti, the yacht features an interior with extensive marble work, eight state rooms, a beauty salon, a spa, a gym, a helipad, a swimming pool and an elevator. It accommodates 16 guests and 36 crew members. Determining the real ownership of the Amadea has been an issue of contention because of an opaque trail of trusts and shell companies. The yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands and is owned by Millemarin, also based in the Cayman Islands. The US contends that billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for alleged money laundering, owns the yacht. Meanwhile, Eduard Khudainatov, a former chairman and chief executive of the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company Rosneft, who has not been sanctioned, claims to own it. US prosecutors say Khudainatov is a straw owner of the yacht, intended to conceal the yacht's true owner, Kerimov. Litigation over the true ownership of the yacht is ongoing. A representative of Khudainatov said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that the planned sale of the yacht is 'improper and premature' since Khudainatov is appealing a forfeiture ruling. 'We doubt it will attract any rational buyer at fair market price, because ownership can, and will, be challenged in courts outside the United States, exposing purchasers to years of costly, uncertain litigation,' said the representative, Adam Ford.
Sky News AU
31 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
India is ‘very heavily dependent' on Russian weaponry
ANU Strategic & Defence Studies Centre Visiting Fellow Dr Matthew Sussex says India is 'very heavily dependent' on Russian weaponry. Mr Sussex told Sky News Australia that India's military 'teeth' are a result of Russian arms. 'I think when it comes to India, we do need to kind of temper our expectations about how close New Delhi is prepared to get to the West.'
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Brave' plan to lift GST offers $3300 payment carrot
A bold proposal to give Australians an extra $3300 per year in exchange for a rise in the goods and services tax is being treated with caution by the major parties. Independent MP Kate Chaney calls for the implementation of a "progressive GST model" as the federal government looks for ways to reinvigorate Australia's languishing productivity and strengthen the budget at an economic roundtable. Under the plan first proposed by economist Richard Holden, Australia would lift the rate of the consumption tax from 10 to 15 per cent and apply it to exempt items like food, education and health. But to mitigate the impact on those with lower incomes, all Australians aged 18 and older would be given a $3300 rebate, meaning they would effectively pay no GST on the first $22,000 of their annual expenses. While the GST-free threshold would cost Australia $68.8 billion, increasing the tax and removing exemptions for certain categories would raise $92.7 billion, adding $23.8 billion to the Commonwealth's budget. "The major parties like to talk about tax cuts and spending but they're less willing to discuss where the money will come from," Ms Chaney said. "We have to have courageous conversations about other revenue sources to avoid handballing this problem to future generations." With the government's economic roundtable to convene later in August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would not respond to every proposal in the meantime. "Governments make government policy," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. "Our tax policy - the only tax policy that we're implementing - is the one that we took to the election ... which is reducing income taxes." Opposition finance spokesman James Patterson said he was concerned two-thirds of revenue generated by Ms Chaney's proposal would be used to compensate Australians for the tax it collects. He warned against tax on spending in areas carved out of the GST when it was introduced more than two decades ago, such as education and health. "The Howard government recognised that people who spend their money on private health or private education are actually taking a burden off the public purse, and therefore it would be unjust to tax them on top of that," he told Sky News. It would be an "incredibly brave government" that put a tax on top of insurance and private education fees, Senator Patterson said. Meanwhile, the Australian Council of Social Service has called for a halving of the capital gains tax discount, a 15 per cent tax on superannuation retirement accounts and a commonwealth royalty payment for offshore gas. It urges the government to strengthen the not-for-profit sector by supporting digital transformation and making service users the centrepiece of governance and program design. All policies developed at the roundtable should be assessed on how they improve the wellbeing of people and the natural environment while taking gender and other factors into account, the council said. "We must better prepare and train people for jobs and finally lift income support to levels that don't trap people in poverty and destitution," Dr Goldie said. A bold proposal to give Australians an extra $3300 per year in exchange for a rise in the goods and services tax is being treated with caution by the major parties. Independent MP Kate Chaney calls for the implementation of a "progressive GST model" as the federal government looks for ways to reinvigorate Australia's languishing productivity and strengthen the budget at an economic roundtable. Under the plan first proposed by economist Richard Holden, Australia would lift the rate of the consumption tax from 10 to 15 per cent and apply it to exempt items like food, education and health. But to mitigate the impact on those with lower incomes, all Australians aged 18 and older would be given a $3300 rebate, meaning they would effectively pay no GST on the first $22,000 of their annual expenses. While the GST-free threshold would cost Australia $68.8 billion, increasing the tax and removing exemptions for certain categories would raise $92.7 billion, adding $23.8 billion to the Commonwealth's budget. "The major parties like to talk about tax cuts and spending but they're less willing to discuss where the money will come from," Ms Chaney said. "We have to have courageous conversations about other revenue sources to avoid handballing this problem to future generations." With the government's economic roundtable to convene later in August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would not respond to every proposal in the meantime. "Governments make government policy," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. "Our tax policy - the only tax policy that we're implementing - is the one that we took to the election ... which is reducing income taxes." Opposition finance spokesman James Patterson said he was concerned two-thirds of revenue generated by Ms Chaney's proposal would be used to compensate Australians for the tax it collects. He warned against tax on spending in areas carved out of the GST when it was introduced more than two decades ago, such as education and health. "The Howard government recognised that people who spend their money on private health or private education are actually taking a burden off the public purse, and therefore it would be unjust to tax them on top of that," he told Sky News. It would be an "incredibly brave government" that put a tax on top of insurance and private education fees, Senator Patterson said. Meanwhile, the Australian Council of Social Service has called for a halving of the capital gains tax discount, a 15 per cent tax on superannuation retirement accounts and a commonwealth royalty payment for offshore gas. It urges the government to strengthen the not-for-profit sector by supporting digital transformation and making service users the centrepiece of governance and program design. All policies developed at the roundtable should be assessed on how they improve the wellbeing of people and the natural environment while taking gender and other factors into account, the council said. "We must better prepare and train people for jobs and finally lift income support to levels that don't trap people in poverty and destitution," Dr Goldie said. A bold proposal to give Australians an extra $3300 per year in exchange for a rise in the goods and services tax is being treated with caution by the major parties. Independent MP Kate Chaney calls for the implementation of a "progressive GST model" as the federal government looks for ways to reinvigorate Australia's languishing productivity and strengthen the budget at an economic roundtable. Under the plan first proposed by economist Richard Holden, Australia would lift the rate of the consumption tax from 10 to 15 per cent and apply it to exempt items like food, education and health. But to mitigate the impact on those with lower incomes, all Australians aged 18 and older would be given a $3300 rebate, meaning they would effectively pay no GST on the first $22,000 of their annual expenses. While the GST-free threshold would cost Australia $68.8 billion, increasing the tax and removing exemptions for certain categories would raise $92.7 billion, adding $23.8 billion to the Commonwealth's budget. "The major parties like to talk about tax cuts and spending but they're less willing to discuss where the money will come from," Ms Chaney said. "We have to have courageous conversations about other revenue sources to avoid handballing this problem to future generations." With the government's economic roundtable to convene later in August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would not respond to every proposal in the meantime. "Governments make government policy," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. "Our tax policy - the only tax policy that we're implementing - is the one that we took to the election ... which is reducing income taxes." Opposition finance spokesman James Patterson said he was concerned two-thirds of revenue generated by Ms Chaney's proposal would be used to compensate Australians for the tax it collects. He warned against tax on spending in areas carved out of the GST when it was introduced more than two decades ago, such as education and health. "The Howard government recognised that people who spend their money on private health or private education are actually taking a burden off the public purse, and therefore it would be unjust to tax them on top of that," he told Sky News. It would be an "incredibly brave government" that put a tax on top of insurance and private education fees, Senator Patterson said. Meanwhile, the Australian Council of Social Service has called for a halving of the capital gains tax discount, a 15 per cent tax on superannuation retirement accounts and a commonwealth royalty payment for offshore gas. It urges the government to strengthen the not-for-profit sector by supporting digital transformation and making service users the centrepiece of governance and program design. All policies developed at the roundtable should be assessed on how they improve the wellbeing of people and the natural environment while taking gender and other factors into account, the council said. "We must better prepare and train people for jobs and finally lift income support to levels that don't trap people in poverty and destitution," Dr Goldie said. A bold proposal to give Australians an extra $3300 per year in exchange for a rise in the goods and services tax is being treated with caution by the major parties. Independent MP Kate Chaney calls for the implementation of a "progressive GST model" as the federal government looks for ways to reinvigorate Australia's languishing productivity and strengthen the budget at an economic roundtable. Under the plan first proposed by economist Richard Holden, Australia would lift the rate of the consumption tax from 10 to 15 per cent and apply it to exempt items like food, education and health. But to mitigate the impact on those with lower incomes, all Australians aged 18 and older would be given a $3300 rebate, meaning they would effectively pay no GST on the first $22,000 of their annual expenses. While the GST-free threshold would cost Australia $68.8 billion, increasing the tax and removing exemptions for certain categories would raise $92.7 billion, adding $23.8 billion to the Commonwealth's budget. "The major parties like to talk about tax cuts and spending but they're less willing to discuss where the money will come from," Ms Chaney said. "We have to have courageous conversations about other revenue sources to avoid handballing this problem to future generations." With the government's economic roundtable to convene later in August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would not respond to every proposal in the meantime. "Governments make government policy," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. "Our tax policy - the only tax policy that we're implementing - is the one that we took to the election ... which is reducing income taxes." Opposition finance spokesman James Patterson said he was concerned two-thirds of revenue generated by Ms Chaney's proposal would be used to compensate Australians for the tax it collects. He warned against tax on spending in areas carved out of the GST when it was introduced more than two decades ago, such as education and health. "The Howard government recognised that people who spend their money on private health or private education are actually taking a burden off the public purse, and therefore it would be unjust to tax them on top of that," he told Sky News. It would be an "incredibly brave government" that put a tax on top of insurance and private education fees, Senator Patterson said. Meanwhile, the Australian Council of Social Service has called for a halving of the capital gains tax discount, a 15 per cent tax on superannuation retirement accounts and a commonwealth royalty payment for offshore gas. It urges the government to strengthen the not-for-profit sector by supporting digital transformation and making service users the centrepiece of governance and program design. All policies developed at the roundtable should be assessed on how they improve the wellbeing of people and the natural environment while taking gender and other factors into account, the council said. "We must better prepare and train people for jobs and finally lift income support to levels that don't trap people in poverty and destitution," Dr Goldie said.
