Sunday, April 2, 2017

A stalled treaty with China highlights Australia’s geopolitical dilemma

This article basically talks about how Australia and China are both in a stalemate on a treaty that involves planned parliamentary vote that would ratify an extradition treaty between the two respective countries. Prime Minister Li Keqiang visited Australia to further work out a treaty on the extradition treaty, which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull quickly scrapped two days after "mutual agreement". China has a very strong influence and investment on Australian politics, and even though Australia wants to partner with China and continue to trade and capitalize on China's rise, they are still very tentative to work out any deal due to the fact that they are still concerned with alleged criminals that Australia extradited could be dealt with unfairly by China's courts. Australia's government is very much torn between growing from China's economy, but quelling their political advancements and geopolitical awareness that China possesses. It is a very awkward situation, as pointed out in the article, with both sides retreating yet advancing on key issues (imports, resources, politics).

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21719917-trade-booming-another-level-two-countries-are-odds-stalled-treaty-china?zid=309&ah=80dcf288b8561b012f603b9fd9577f0e

- Brett Johnson

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