1 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: You can listen to the front on your smart sneaker 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: every morning to hear the latest episode. Just say play 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 1: the news from The Australian. From the Australian, Here's what's 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: on the front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Wednesday, June twelfth. 5 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: A giant stink is broken out between two powerful Australian institutions, 6 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: the AFL and the CFMU. The Construction Union's boss John 7 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: Setka has told The Australian he's furious the Australian Football 8 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: League has hired a former building watchdog as its new 9 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: head of umpiring. Setka says the union will make misery 10 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: for the Footy Code on its work sites. Queensland's labor 11 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: government is throwing the kitchen sink at winning the next election, 12 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: plunging the state into debt and deficit to bankroll an 13 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: eleven point two billion dollar cost of living package in 14 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: its new budget. That story is live right now at 15 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 1: the Australian dot com. A police are preparing for potential 16 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: clashes between pro and anti Chinese protesters when Premier Lee 17 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: Chung visits Australia in coming days. Anthony Albanezi is hailing 18 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: the trip as a restoration of Australia's bond with China 19 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: and flagging some big news about two very special Chinese Australians. 20 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: I think we should get a panda bear. 21 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 2: You say that now, but I'm the one who's gonna 22 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 2: end up feeding him and walking him. 23 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: This is an episode of the turn of the century 24 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: TV drama The West Wing. A political consultant named Mandy 25 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: Hampton is discussing a matter of great political importance with 26 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: the White House's Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman. 27 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: You guys have gotten something more than three thousand letters 28 00:01:58,520 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: in the last ten days. 29 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 3: You wanted to know when we're getting the new bear 30 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 3: for the National Zoo. What happened to the old bear? Lumlum. 31 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 3: She died two weeks ago. 32 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: Pandas are a big deal in international affairs. It's called 33 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: panda diplomacy, and it's actually a pretty good way of 34 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 1: gauging the temperature of China's geopolitical relationships. All the giant 35 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: pandas on the planet technically belong to China. There are 36 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: about two and a half thousand living in the wild 37 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: and in captivity. China loans them out to zoos and 38 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: conservation organizations Australia has Ju pandas on loan from China 39 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: since two thousand and nine. They're called Wang Wog and 40 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: Funi and they live at Adelaide Zoo. For a while 41 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: there is Australia's relationship with China turned seriously toxic. Wang 42 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: Wang and Funi looked likely to be hauled out at 43 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: any moment, but Chinese Premier at Lee Chung is coming 44 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: to Australia this weekend and his first stop is Adelaide. 45 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: That's making China watches. I think things are looking up. 46 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 1: Ben Packham is the Australian's Foreign Affairs and Defense correspondent. 47 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: Look, China is very particular about its pandas. You don't 48 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 2: get given pandas. They're always lent and they're a symbol 49 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 2: of the strength of the bilateral relationship. I recall that 50 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 2: Wang Wang and Funi were due to be returned to China, 51 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: but their stay in Adelaide was extended after that visit 52 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: by Anthony Albinezi to Beijing last November. 53 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: The relationship has gone through some extremely tough times over 54 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: the past few years. Ben, do you think there were 55 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: ever considerations about taking the pandas back? 56 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 2: Oh? 57 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 3: Look, I think that appeared to be the threat. They've 58 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: been given a reprieve. 59 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: There's been some panda diplomacy in the US recently as well, 60 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: like the Koala, perhaps even more so than the Koala. 61 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: The pandas are a symbol of China, and they're sort 62 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 2: of greatly loved by the Chinese people, and to have 63 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 2: them lean out to another is certainly in the Chinese eyes, 64 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: a great honor for Australia. 65 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: Lee Chung is the second most powerful figure in China 66 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: after President Hijinping, who hasn't been here for a decade. 67 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: Lee's visit is highly significant as China winds back savage 68 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: trade sanctions it imposed after taking Umbridge at Scott Morrison's 69 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: suggestions China was responsible for the COVID nineteen pandemic. 70 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: Look, this is all part of the stabilization of the 71 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:39,559 Speaker 2: bilateral relationship since the Labor Party came back into office here. 72 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 3: The next step may or may not be a visit 73 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 3: from Hijinping. 74 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: That one would be a much more sort of difficult 75 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 2: prospect in terms of the sort of optics of such 76 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 2: a visit. Public opinion has hardened substantially against China since 77 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 2: the president was last in the country some ten years 78 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 2: ago when he addressed the Australian Parliament. So you know, 79 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 2: you have all the irritance and long standing problems in 80 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 2: the relationship, including foreign interference, espionage, hacking, trade bands, human 81 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 2: rights questions. There's so many issues on which Australia and 82 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 2: China disagree these days, and also including ORCUST. It's really 83 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 2: only designed with one adversary in mind, and that's China. 84 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 2: The world has moved on a lot since Shi Jimping 85 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 2: was last in Australia, so I wouldn't be expecting a 86 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: visit by the President necessarily to follow this one. But 87 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 2: certainly this visit does continue that process of sort of 88 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 2: improvement in ties that labor has been very keen to 89 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 2: do and with the support of the opposition. I mean, 90 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: the opposition does agree that it's a good thing that 91 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: we are able to speak to our Chinese counterparts, but 92 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 2: it still does have a much harder line on many 93 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: of those key strategic issues. 94 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: Adelaide's important for more than just adorable reasons. It's where 95 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 1: the Australian Defense Force will build a fleet of nuclear 96 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: submarines designed to supercharge our future defense efforts and as 97 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: front listeners know China is seriously unimpressed by the Orcus 98 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: submarine project and is making big military moves in international 99 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: waters around Australia. Here's South Australian Premier Peter malinowskis talking 100 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 1: about the subs, which are a long range stealth weapon 101 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: designed to limit the threat from yep China. 102 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 4: The nuclear submarine is the ultimate APEX predator. The moment 103 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 4: a nuclear submarine enters the water, it immediately and fundamentally 104 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 4: tilts the balance of power. 105 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: The last visit by a senior Chinese leader was when 106 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: Foreign Minister Wang Ye came here in March. Much that 107 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 1: visit was notable for the inclusion of former Prime Minister 108 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: Paul Keating, who held a meeting with one Ye, who 109 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: of course is united with mister Keating on not being 110 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: a fan of the Orchestra Defense Pact. Do you think 111 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: anything of that note will happen this time or is 112 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: this going to be much more sober and formal. 113 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 3: Well. 114 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 2: I think the government will be hoping that there's no 115 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 2: sort of wild card sideline events planned by the Chinese, 116 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 2: but you never can be too sure. I think that 117 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 2: was quite embarrassing to the government. The Poorkeating meeting that 118 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 2: really did sort of highlight some of China's criticisms of 119 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: Australia's stance, using the very symbolic and powerful symbolism of 120 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: Paul Keating to sort of amplify those complaints that they 121 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 2: have about Australia's treatment of China. 122 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: Your job, as I said, is Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent, 123 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: Ben So that's the very delicate side of negotiations with 124 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: another country like China, things like pandas, and it's also 125 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: the very pointy part of it too. And in the 126 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: defense area, Australia's had some quite serious moments with China 127 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: of late. Can you tell us a little bit about those, 128 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: what happened and what did they tell us about? Where 129 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: the relationships. 130 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 2: At China is quite aggressive in the South China Sea 131 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 2: and other territorial waters close to China. So there's been 132 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 2: a couple of recent incidents. The most recent one was 133 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 2: in early May in which Chinese fighter jet dropped flares 134 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 2: in front of Australian helicopter that was policing sanctions against North. 135 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 3: Korea in the Yellow Sea. 136 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 2: That was quite a dangerous encounter and the Australian helicopter 137 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 2: was forced to sort of take evasive action. The other 138 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 2: incident that many people will remember was the one in 139 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 2: which a Chinese warship used its while some Australian divers 140 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 2: were freeing fishing net from Hmas to Woomba. That was 141 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 2: last year in the South China Sea, and those divers 142 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 2: were sort of quite lucky to not be seriously injured, 143 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 2: because the sono is quite powerful and it can cause 144 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 2: serious sort of ruptures of ear drums and so forth. 145 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 2: So the Australian Defense Force and the government made firm 146 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 2: sort of protests in both of those cases with their 147 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 2: Chinese counterparts. 148 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 3: But this is really a part of a pattern of 149 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 3: Chinese behavior that we see not just with Australia. 150 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 2: It happens a lot with nations, including the Philippines, who 151 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 2: really do have a pretty rough time in the South 152 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 2: China Sea when they try and replenish supplies for some 153 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 2: of their personnel stationed on. 154 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 3: Some of these disputed features. 155 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 2: And Tokyo regularly protests about Chinese ships and aircraft being 156 00:09:58,520 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 2: in its territory. 157 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 3: Certainly America also has issues as well. 158 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: Coming up a strange scene in parliament ahead of the 159 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: Chinese Premier's visit. Subscribers to The Australian get all the 160 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: big news first, and it's a lot cheaper than a 161 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: day's supply of bamboo for Wang Wang and FUNI check 162 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: us out at the Australian dot com dot au and 163 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: we'll be back after this break. A strange scene unfolded 164 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: in Federal Parliament House on Tuesday. A group of thirty 165 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: Chinese officials descended on the building, visiting the Cabinet Office, 166 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: the Ministerial Wing and other places normally only open to 167 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: the most senior Australian staff. 168 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 2: One of my colleagues got a call this morning from 169 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,239 Speaker 2: someone who told her about group that was moving. 170 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 3: Through the place. 171 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 2: So she quickly told me and I went down there, 172 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 2: and you know, I was just sort of standing around listening. 173 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: They can't really kick you out if you're in one 174 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: of those public areas. 175 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: It's one of the things that makes China so very 176 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: different from Australia. Here the government is not really able 177 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: to control the message quite as much as they would like. 178 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 2: Yes, no, we are often writing things and doing things 179 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 2: that the government would prefer not to have discussed, so 180 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 2: that certainly doesn't happen in China. 181 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,679 Speaker 1: It was kind of weird because up until that point, 182 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: Anthony Alberizi had refused to reveal Lee Chung was definitely 183 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: coming or when he'd be here, even though New Zealand 184 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: had already announced he'll be over there earlier in the week. 185 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 2: Anthony Elberenezi has played it very much by the book 186 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 2: on these types of diplomatic meetings ever since he was elected. 187 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 2: Labor made a big point in opposition about Scott Morrison's 188 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,319 Speaker 2: leaking of those text messages with Emmanuel mccron around the 189 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: cancelation the attacked class submarine, and so Labor has been 190 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 2: really insistent about these kind of matters of protocol. But 191 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 2: it sort of gets a little bit silly when everyone 192 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 2: knows the Chinese premier is coming but the Prime Minister 193 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 2: sort of can't quite bring himself to say it and 194 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: calls it a potential visit. It's just not a particularly 195 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,239 Speaker 2: sort of deft way of taking those questions. 196 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 1: Ben Packham is the Australian's Foreign Affairs and Defense correspondent. 197 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: Twenty twenty four is the year of the UCUS. Elections 198 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: are allies. The UK and US go to the polls 199 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,719 Speaker 1: in coming months and then Australia too, will vote in 200 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: federal elections late this year or early next. Live right 201 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: now on the Australian dot Com dot U is a 202 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 1: debate between some of the smartest analysts in foreign affairs, 203 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: The Australian's Foreign editor, Greg Sheridan, and editors from The 204 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal in the Times of London. Check it 205 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,599 Speaker 1: out and don't forget to join ours subscribers at the 206 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:02,559 Speaker 1: Australian dot Com dot You