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Sydney Morning Herald
18-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Albanese China visit: China's money makes us rich but, as I well know, we can't put a price on freedom
If not for the international pressure and the constant media reporting (of which I was proudly a part) about China's pollution and energy-intensive industries in the 2000s, would China have bitten the bullet on cleaner energy and green solutions? Loading Why do Chinese Communist Party officials reject any proposal for officials to declare their assets? Why do CCP officials and wealthy people send their families abroad? (Xi has distant relatives in Melbourne.) Why do the vociferous China bulls not give up their foreign passports and live in China as Chinese citizens? For all of the CCP's might, with all of China's powers and resources at its disposal, why is it so afraid of dissent that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, employs an army of 10,000 human censors deleting posts, suspending accounts day and night? China operates on a 'party first' principle. It is built into every message the citizen receives. Individuals can be easily sacrificed to ensure party longevity. To save the party's face or interests, China has no qualms arresting and torturing innocent individuals and manipulating the narrative. I know it personally. The CCP may well say on behalf of 1.4 billion people (whether they agree or not), 'Our way is best for us'. But is this the world we want to live in? Human rights used to be a fixed part of the agenda of state visits. Now, whenever there is some UN declaration on China's crimes against humanity for its treatment of Uyghurs, state TV shows footage of US gun crime, Canadian Indigenous children burial sites or Australia's Indigenous population suffering. Illustration by Badiucao Credit: China often laments it is 'getting older before it gets richer', but the sad fact is the rest of the world has helped it get richer and more powerful before it gets fairer. Global trade – and with it, an easier-to-coerce international community – has bolstered the CCP's military budget and helped to silence the Chinese population. Especially Australia, the most China-trade-dependent middle power. Dissidents and activists who used to be invited to other embassies in Beijing to brief visiting leaders on China's human rights would notice they were never invited to the Australian embassy. The average Sky watcher calls Albanese a 'sell-out' and says we should stop trade with China. ABC watchers, less consistently, laud the visit and say we're better off closer to China because the US is acting irresponsibly. Both sides have a point. Loading I am glad the prime minister raised the case of the Australian citizen and democracy activist Yang Hengjun, who remains imprisoned in China, but I'm disappointed that others are not doing more. The Australian Chinese community has not spoken out for Dr Yang. His family is still media-shy. When MPs visited Beijing last year and posted enthusiastic group photos on social media, I couldn't help but query whether they had asked to see Yang. Australia, nevertheless, may need to consider how much hardball it is willing to play with China. I suspect my own incarceration was an act of retaliation against then foreign minister Marise Payne, calling for an independent investigation into the cause of the COVID epidemic, including China's handling of the initial outbreak. What revenge might China take against Australians over the rescinding of its purchase of the Port of Darwin? My friend Badiucao drew a cartoon that showed the PM in a warm bath that was really a Chinese hotpot on the boil. Albanese is our leader, but it is all of us who are being cooked, oblivious as the water becomes incrementally hotter. I'd like to ask the prime minister this: Now that relations are better, is it easier or harder to broach the hard subjects? What does disagreement (where we must disagree) look like? I have said I don't want to be the symbol of disengagement, but I am proud to be the reminder of how China really is, not how it portrays itself by hiding everything from Xinjiang's internment camps – where many Australian Uyghurs' family members are still missing – to its brutal arrests of dissidents. Blocking me from cameras and making up lies about me on the Chinese internet are the least of it. At the Perth launch of my book this week, I heard from Chinese Australians who had been organising vigils for the Tiananmen Square massacre. They reported they were constantly harassed by 'muscle' hired by the Chinese consulate. I learnt from West Australian Greens MLC Sophie McNeill that WA Labor is the only party branch in Australia that still meets with the CCP-controlled United Front. It is incumbent, after all, not only on Anthony Albanese to be clear-eyed and cool-headed when it comes to China. It is the responsibility of all of us. Let's not stoop to political point-scoring, finger-pointing or mindless judgment. Let's not scapegoat our leader when we all benefit from China's money. China loves nothing more than to see us distracted and divided from endless bickering. Cheng Lei is a China-born Australian journalist. She is the author of Cheng Lei: A Memoir of Freedom . Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canadian Indigenous leader says he was 'filled with rage' before 'intense' conversation with Trump
KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — A Canadian Indigenous leader who greeted world heads of state arriving for the Group of Seven summit says he was 'filled with rage' and considered leaving before Donald Trump arrived — saying the U.S. president has 'caused much pain and suffering in the world.' Instead, Steven Crowchild prayed, consulted with his peoples' leaders and ultimately opted to stay on the tarmac for a long conversation with Trump that he hopes will call more attention to promoting peace, protecting clean water and other issues key to Canada's First Nation peoples. 'It was really intense, to say the least," Crowchild told The Associated Press on Monday, recalling his lengthy encounter with Trump on Sunday night in Calgary for the G7 in nearby Kananaskis. 'When I woke up on Father's Day, I didn't anticipate I would be seeing world leaders, and one certain individual that has caused much pain and suffering in the world.' In Canada, First Nations refers to one of three major legally recognized groups of aboriginal people. Crowchild, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, is a Tsuut'ina Isgiya and a current elected member of the Tsuut'ina Nation Xakujaa-yina and Chief and Council. Crowchild said he spoke in his people's traditional language, wore feathered headgear that made him feel strong and showed Trump treaty medals that he told the president were older than Canada itself. Trump wore a white 'Make America Great Again' cap and appeared to be listening at length — though both sides declined to comment on exactly what was said. 'When it came to that one individual, I almost didn't stay. I was filled with rage,' Crowchild said. 'I was going to go home because I didn't want to bring any negativity to my people. However, I did consult with close people and advisers and, based on feedback, I stayed, considering that visibility is key and diplomacy is important." Aware that 'no Indigenous representation was there at the time,' Crowchild said he 'prayed to my creator' and 'really thought of those suffering around the world' in choosing to speak to Trump. "Instead of war, I choose peace," he said. Crowchild said that, in addition to Trump, he greeted other arriving world leaders and "tried to remind each one of them to try to be a good leader and protect our water for future generations.' 'I spoke for my elders," Crowchild said, noting that he spoke of promoting peace and 'protecting water for future generations" and tried to 'say as much as I could, as wisely as I could, while representing with honor and dignity. Whether he listened or not, time will tell.' He said that, ultimately, the U.S. president is 'just another person." 'Some would say he's a horrible person, and we all know many reasons," Crowchild said. "I stood taller than him as proud Tsuut'ina Isgiya.' ___ Weissert reported from Banff, Canada.
16-06-2025
- Politics
Canadian Indigenous leader says he was 'filled with rage' before 'intense' conversation with Trump
KANANASKIS, Alberta -- A Canadian Indigenous leader who greeted world heads of state arriving for the Group of Seven summit says he was 'filled with rage' and considered leaving before Donald Trump arrived — saying the U.S. president has 'caused much pain and suffering in the world.' Instead, Steven Crowchild prayed, consulted with his peoples' leaders and ultimately opted to stay on the tarmac for a long conversation with Trump that he hopes will call more attention to promoting peace, protecting clean water and other issues key to Canada's First Nation peoples. 'It was really intense, to say the least," Crowchild told The Associated Press on Monday, recalling his lengthy encounter with Trump on Sunday night in Calgary for the G7 in nearby Kananaskis. 'When I woke up on Father's Day, I didn't anticipate I would be seeing world leaders, and one certain individual that has caused much pain and suffering in the world.' In Canada, First Nations refers to one of three major legally recognized groups of aboriginal people. Crowchild, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, is a Tsuut'ina Isgiya and a current elected member of the Tsuut'ina Nation Xakujaa-yina and Chief and Council. Crowchild said he spoke in his people's traditional language, wore feathered headgear that made him feel strong and showed Trump treaty medals that he told the president were older than Canada itself. Trump wore a white 'Make America Great Again' cap and appeared to be listening at length — though both sides declined to comment on exactly what was said. 'When it came to that one individual, I almost didn't stay. I was filled with rage,' Crowchild said. 'I was going to go home because I didn't want to bring any negativity to my people. However, I did consult with close people and advisers and, based on feedback, I stayed, considering that visibility is key and diplomacy is important." Aware that 'no Indigenous representation was there at the time,' Crowchild said he 'prayed to my creator' and 'really thought of those suffering around the world' in choosing to speak to Trump. "Instead of war, I choose peace," he said. Crowchild said that, in addition to Trump, he greeted other arriving world leaders and "tried to remind each one of them to try to be a good leader and protect our water for future generations.' 'I spoke for my elders," Crowchild said, noting that he spoke of promoting peace and 'protecting water for future generations" and tried to 'say as much as I could, as wisely as I could, while representing with honor and dignity. Whether he listened or not, time will tell.' He said that, ultimately, the U.S. president is 'just another person." 'Some would say he's a horrible person, and we all know many reasons," Crowchild said. "I stood taller than him as proud Tsuut'ina Isgiya.' Weissert reported from Banff, Canada.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canadian Indigenous leader says he was 'filled with rage' before 'intense' conversation with Trump
KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — A Canadian Indigenous leader who greeted world heads of state arriving for the Group of Seven summit says he was 'filled with rage' and considered leaving before Donald Trump arrived — saying the U.S. president has 'caused much pain and suffering in the world.' Instead, Steven Crowchild prayed, consulted with his peoples' leaders and ultimately opted to stay on the tarmac for a long conversation with Trump that he hopes will call more attention to promoting peace, protecting clean water and other issues key to Canada's First Nation peoples. 'It was really intense, to say the least," Crowchild told The Associated Press on Monday, recalling his lengthy encounter with Trump on Sunday night in Calgary for the G7 in nearby Kananaskis. 'When I woke up on Father's Day, I didn't anticipate I would be seeing world leaders, and one certain individual that has caused much pain and suffering in the world.' In Canada, First Nations refers to one of three major legally recognized groups of aboriginal people. Crowchild, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, is a Tsuut'ina Isgiya and a current elected member of the Tsuut'ina Nation Xakujaa-yina and Chief and Council. Crowchild said he spoke in his people's traditional language, wore feathered headgear that made him feel strong and showed Trump treaty medals that he told the president were older than Canada itself. Trump wore a white 'Make America Great Again' cap and appeared to be listening at length — though both sides declined to comment on exactly what was said. 'When it came to that one individual, I almost didn't stay. I was filled with rage,' Crowchild said. 'I was going to go home because I didn't want to bring any negativity to my people. However, I did consult with close people and advisers and, based on feedback, I stayed, considering that visibility is key and diplomacy is important." Aware that 'no Indigenous representation was there at the time,' Crowchild said he 'prayed to my creator' and 'really thought of those suffering around the world' in choosing to speak to Trump. "Instead of war, I choose peace," he said. Crowchild said that, in addition to Trump, he greeted other arriving world leaders and "tried to remind each one of them to try to be a good leader and protect our water for future generations.' 'I spoke for my elders," Crowchild said, noting that he spoke of promoting peace and 'protecting water for future generations" and tried to 'say as much as I could, as wisely as I could, while representing with honor and dignity. Whether he listened or not, time will tell.' He said that, ultimately, the U.S. president is 'just another person." 'Some would say he's a horrible person, and we all know many reasons," Crowchild said. "I stood taller than him as proud Tsuut'ina Isgiya.' ___ Weissert reported from Banff, Canada.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Canadian Indigenous leader says he was 'filled with rage' before 'intense' conversation with Trump
KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — A Canadian Indigenous leader who greeted world heads of state arriving for the Group of Seven summit says he was 'filled with rage' and considered leaving before Donald Trump arrived — saying the U.S. president has 'caused much pain and suffering in the world.' Instead, Steven Crowchild prayed, consulted with his peoples' leaders and ultimately opted to stay on the tarmac for a long conversation with Trump that he hopes will call more attention to promoting peace, protecting clean water and other issues key to Canada's First Nation peoples. 'It was really intense, to say the least," Crowchild told The Associated Press on Monday, recalling his lengthy encounter with Trump on Sunday night in Calgary for the G7 in nearby Kananaskis. 'When I woke up on Father's Day, I didn't anticipate I would be seeing world leaders, and one certain individual that has caused much pain and suffering in the world.' In Canada, First Nations refers to one of three major legally recognized groups of aboriginal people. Crowchild, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, is a Tsuut'ina Isgiya and a current elected member of the Tsuut'ina Nation Xakujaa-yina and Chief and Council. Crowchild said he spoke in his people's traditional language, wore feathered headgear that made him feel strong and showed Trump treaty medals that he told the president were older than Canada itself. Trump wore a white 'Make America Great Again' cap and appeared to be listening at length — though both sides declined to comment on exactly what was said. 'When it came to that one individual, I almost didn't stay. I was filled with rage,' Crowchild said. 'I was going to go home because I didn't want to bring any negativity to my people. However, I did consult with close people and advisers and, based on feedback, I stayed, considering that visibility is key and diplomacy is important." Aware that 'no Indigenous representation was there at the time,' Crowchild said he 'prayed to my creator' and 'really thought of those suffering around the world' in choosing to speak to Trump. Crowchild said that, in addition to Trump, he greeted other arriving world leaders and "tried to remind each one of them to try to be a good leader and protect our water for future generations.' 'I spoke for my elders," Crowchild said, noting that he spoke of promoting peace and 'protecting water for future generations" and tried to 'say as much as I could, as wisely as I could, while representing with honor and dignity. Whether he listened or not, time will tell.' 'Some would say he's a horrible person, and we all know many reasons," Crowchild said. "I stood taller than him as proud Tsuut'ina Isgiya.' ___
