China's influence in Australia and New Zealand: making the democratic world safe for dictatorship

Australia and New Zealand both established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in December of 1972. The assumed tensions between economic openness and political closure have instead been felt primarily in democratic countries developing close trade relations with China. A Chinese-language newspaper engaged in open and critical reporting on contemporary Chinese matters found its private business advertisers placed under unprecedented state pressures. China’s most determined and successful infiltration efforts have been focused on exerting control over the Chinese diaspora by bringing Chinese language media, Chinese community organizations, Chinese community leaders and local politicians of Chinese heritage into its sphere of influence. In New Zealand, Chinese-language media are also being rapidly incorporated into China’s system of media control. The most alarming cases of China’s influence take place in elite politics, ranging from political donations and manipulation of elections to co-option of political leaders and cultivation of politicians.