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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 1d

"‘Country could shut down’: Australia has just 28 days of petrol"

Racking my brains trying to think of some possible regional crisis that could disrupt Australia's oil imports.
www.afr.com/policy/forei...

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 5d

Tasmanian Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia Cultural Park, under construction for many years, vandalised with "中国统战部AUS HQ".

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 15d

"...on the other is the Kuomintang (KMT) party, which has always been friendlier with China, and encouraged more dialogue."

Has it, though?
www.bbc.com/news/article...

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 17d

"An absolute resolve to stand together and defend democracy itself."

Australian PM Albanese on defending democracy.

A line with far-reaching implications given the active threat to one particular democracy in our region.
www.pm.gov.au/media/addres...

Address to UK Labour Conference

Thank you all, for that very warm Labour Party welcome.Here in Liverpool we are 10,000 miles from where I joined the Labor Party.A long and winding road.But in our mighty global movement, you never walk alone.And – for balance - a shout-out to all the Everton supporters here as well.Thank you to my mate, and your leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Thank you for the great honour of inviting me to speak at your conference.And thank you for your kind introduction.

www.pm.gov.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 17d

"Funding deal for research program about Australia's polar security rejected by Tasmanian government."

A lot to unpack here.

Antarctic and Southern Ocean security in spotlight after failed funding bid

A funding bid to establish a polar security research program has been knocked back, despite the changing geopolitical dynamics in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

www.abc.net.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 17d

"Classified US intelligence warns of China's preparations for Taiwan invasion."

Yes.

China ferry fleet built amid Taiwan invasion preparations, classified report warns

A classified US intelligence report, seen by the ABC, says vessels have been modified to carry tanks and partake in amphibious operations in what Taiwan considers part of China's "expansionist intenti...

www.abc.net.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 20d

Those were the days. A 594 page reading pack.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 21d

Call in the Hobart Mercury for "multipolarity", a codeword for great power spheres of influence and abandoning the liberal principle of universal human rights.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 25d

New regulations on transnational education, or 中外合作办学 Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools just released.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 27d

Important speech by University of Canberra VC Bill Shorten, with much to commend it, but still treating academic knowledge as a resource to be extracted, not a field to be tended.
www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/med...

SPEECH | Australian Institute of International Affairs

www.canberra.edu.au

Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 27d

ABC report on the Victorian state government delegation in China, with important comments from John Fitzgerald and the revelation that the Victoria-China MOU on public education cooperation is "confidential".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXb...

The politicians making their way to Beijing hoping to boost Chinese investment in Victoria | 7.30

YouTube video by ABC News In-depth

www.youtube.com

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 28d

Tell me you don't understand Taiwan without telling me you don't understand Taiwan.

"German reunification could offer lessons for Beijing on Taiwan: government adviser"

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · 29d

www.aspistrategist.org.au/this-is-not-...

This is not the time to lower scrutiny of Australian unis’ deals with China | The Strategist

A review of Australia’s law on sub-national foreign relations has erred in suggesting that universities should face less scrutiny over their transnational education programs. The legislative proposal ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 16

Imagine trying to teach about Taiwan at any Victorian education institution under this agreement, or being a student who identifies as Taiwanese-Australian.

Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 16

"The landmark Memorandum of Understanding between Victoria and China’s Ministry of Education will establish the Working Group, driving educational cooperation from the primary to the tertiary level."

This is an abrogation of Australia's national sovereignty.
www.premier.vic.gov.au/historic-agr...

Historic Agreement Signed To Partner On Education

The Allan Labor Government top three priorities in China are education, education and education.Today in Beijing, the Premier met His Excellency Huai Jinpeng, China’s Minister for Education, to formal...

www.premier.vic.gov.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 16

"The landmark Memorandum of Understanding between Victoria and China’s Ministry of Education will establish the Working Group, driving educational cooperation from the primary to the tertiary level."

This is an abrogation of Australia's national sovereignty.
www.premier.vic.gov.au/historic-agr...

Historic Agreement Signed To Partner On Education

The Allan Labor Government top three priorities in China are education, education and education.Today in Beijing, the Premier met His Excellency Huai Jinpeng, China’s Minister for Education, to formal...

www.premier.vic.gov.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 15

More troubling is how the policy statement actively conflates the People's Republic of China with the diverse communities in Victoria that can be ascribed the label "Chinese".

Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 15

"Victoria’s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era"

Released coincident with dire economic data for China, a new "China strategy" for the Victorian state government that, typically for these sorts of documents, has little to say about China itself.
www.vic.gov.au/victorias-ch...

Victoria’s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era

The Victorian Government’s strategy to guide our engagement with China over the next five years

www.vic.gov.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 15

"Victoria’s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era"

Released coincident with dire economic data for China, a new "China strategy" for the Victorian state government that, typically for these sorts of documents, has little to say about China itself.
www.vic.gov.au/victorias-ch...

Victoria’s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era

The Victorian Government’s strategy to guide our engagement with China over the next five years

www.vic.gov.au

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 14

With a combination of malice and ignorance, it looks like ICE managed to activate decades of trauma in South Korea from its history of authoritarian violence.

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · Sep 14

i think people should learn Korean just to realize how fucking angry they are

Treats Hog (Good) 류강 대™🪨🕯️ @karnesmellagio.bsky.social · Sep 7

The Korean media both left and right are in an Anti American frenzy lmao

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 14

but Taiwanese defence spending and whole of nation preparedness for conflict is on a whole other level to Australia and misreading it to make a political point about the US-Australia alliance is misguided.

Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 14

Maybe check the legislative proposals, but even 18% is still 3x what Australia spends of its national budget on defence.

@johnquiggin.bsky.social is arguing that if the Taiwanese are sanguine about their defence needs then so should Australia be, and only US pressure would make us otherwise.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 13

Those figures don't include current efforts to restructure the national budget by the legislature.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 13

Taiwan has a very small national budget compared to Australia.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 10

"Representation of the CCP's Concept of the United Front as Part of the the Theory of Contradictions."

This from Lyman P. Van Slyke in 1967 still lands.

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Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 8

Excellent commentary in the China Daily on the Japan–Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/07/...

Japan-Australia security partnership not as well-intentioned as claimed: China Daily editorial

www.chinadaily.com.cn

Mark Harrison @mhar4.bsky.social · Sep 7

Come for the pop philosophy, stay for the Wade-Giles.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Across cultures and centuries, Aristotle and Confucius agree: virtue is good in moderation

What would our philosophers and spiritual leaders have to say about ‘virtue signalling’? They might be in agreement

www.theguardian.com

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