"We should look at the fact that China is a friend to Australia, and is not a threat in any way. We should prioritize that above our relationship with the United States," said Robert Barwick, the Research Director of the Australian Citizens Party, during an exclusive interview with DotDotNews.
In this episode, Robert shared his insights on recent international hot topics, drawing from over 30 years of policy research experience. Regarding Trump's tariff policies on China, he sharply pointed out that the frequent policy changes reveal Trump's ambition for the US to become the world's leading economy. However, in reality, the US has lost many industries, and Trump wrongly blames China for this. "Donald Trump is mistaken if he believes that he can wave tariffs like a magic wand, and all that manufacturing will magically come back again. He is raising tariffs as high as he has. He was inflicting a lot of pain on his own people," Robert stated.
As for the impact of US tariffs on China-Australia trade, Robert believes the effects may not be significant. Since 2009, China has been Australia's largest trading partner, export market, and source of imports for 15 consecutive years. "It's very clear that they (Australian businesses) are very happy that they have a market like China, and they do not want to lose that market, he said. "The lobster exporter who was present at the meeting said his top 10 markets are all Chinese cities."
Additionally, Robert criticized the Australian government for its double standards—allowing Hong Kong fugitive Ted Hui to obtain a lawyer's license in Australia while subjecting Australian citizen Daniel Duggan to unjust and harsh detention, even extraditing him to the US for trial without any formal charges.
"They (the US) extort please out of people through this kind of cruelty. In this case, Australia is doing its dirty work for them," Robert said. He argued that what Ted Hui did is part of a foreign interference operation in Hong Kong, and Australia's preferential treatment of Hong Kong fugitives while neglecting its own citizens serves US interests rather than its own. "It's a great shame, which I'm trying to change," he added.
Robert expressed his hope to contribute to the improvement of China-Australia relations and praised China's visa-free policies. He believes that personal experiences in China are invaluable in fostering connections between people. He said that the relationship between Australia and China is strengthening, whether through interpersonal interactions or business exchanges. He also emphasized that Australia should enhance its independence on the international stage and refuse to be a "yes man" to the Trump administration.
(Reporter & English Editor: Zoey SUN; Cameraman: Jack WANG; Translator: Felicia LI)
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