Keeping the politics of fear at a distance

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, November 6, 2023. /CFP

Editor's note: Timothy Kerswell is a research fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). He lived in Macao for seven years, working as an assistant professor at the University of Macao. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visit to China has been seen as a significant development in the bilateral relations between China and Australia. His visit is the first by an Australian leader since Malcolm Turnbull in 2016. While some commentators have argued that this marks a new dawn in relations, it's better to see these recent developments as a stabilization rather than an improvement. With Albanese at pains to describe how Australia has different values and a different political system to China, these exchanges are ones of naked self-interest, and thus they are fragile.