Dear Shadow Minister,

Penny Wong's approach is more nuanced and refrains from the
pile on with Washington at every opportunity.

China is well aware of Australia's strong security alliance
with the US. There's no need for Australia to talk it up
every 5 minutes as other governments have done.

Part of the problem in making predictions about China's future or drawing conclusions about China's present or past is that you really can't trust any of the data put out by the Chinese authorities.

eg.... http://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/world/asia/china-covid-data-toll.html

China has been saying that about 85000 died from Covid. But following an inadvertent (and quickly withdrawn) release of Covid data from one province, it is likely that the actual number is closer to 1.5 million. And that's at the low end of possible guesses.

Foxy,

Penny Wong nuanced seriously?

Vacuous and insubstantial is more like it.

Hi again David,

You said; "We start by cutting off relations with the worst" Agree, now who are the worst 10 dressed people in Australia in order? Its a list a bit like that, my Tamil friend will tell us India heads the list, my Chinese Malay friend will tell you its a no brainer Malaysia is number one for sure, given their treatment of ethic Chinese like him, did someone say China, according to America, and a couple on here, China tops the list, but America is on list anyway, maybe they should top the list, given their human rights record on blowing up people. If you speak to a passing Palestinian he'll tell you Israel wins hands down. Closer to home Indonesia is the topper. And we haven't even got Myanmar on the all time list, Ireland hummmm!, what's the Irish been up to, on the list they go! Do you see a problem. BTW The Minining Federations wants China exempt from the List, The National Farmers Federation, they want no one on the list who buys wheat, meat, corn, potatoes, bottles of wine, cheese etc, etc. How bad can a wine and cheese eater be?

How about; Part of the problem in making predictions about China's future or drawing conclusions about China's present or past is that you really can't trust any of the data put out by the CIA. Silly Old Joe or Captain America!

Paul,

As usual Paul leaps to the defence of the totalitarians by claiming any unwanted data is merely CIA propaganda.

But in this case, it was data published, probably accidentally since it was quickly removed, on the website of one of China's provincial governments. But Paul will ignore that fact because....well just because.

mhaze, can you give me a link to that accurate data? I'll have a look.