There is a big problem with states signing away their freedom and destiny to foreign powers, when the wheels of fortune can turn; witness the mess that Victoria has put us in:
https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6162343835001
“Federal Labor senator Kimberley Kitching says foreign policy should only be within the purvey of the federal government and it is "not ideal" that the Victorian state government decided to join up to China's Belt and Road Initiative. It was revealed last month Victoria did not consult with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade before signing the second stage of a memorandum of understanding with the Communist Party. Victoria is expected to officially engage in the controversial $24.5 billion infrastructure program with China later this year, which is in direct contradiction to the federal government's public approach to Belt and Roads. The Belt and Road Initiative is an $A1.44 trillion program spanning 138 different countries designed to create a global trade network. China claims the deal will be mutually beneficial, but Beijing maintains the right to seize the asset it has built if the country cannot pay for it. This happened in Sri Lanka, where the communist party repossessed a port after the government was unable to repay the loans it used to build it. Senator Kitching told Sky News "on principle it was not good" for the Victorian government to sign up to the deal. "We have to call out something that is not right," Senator Kitching said. We need all of our ducks lined up and pointed in the same direction when we are looking at foreign policy. "It's also pretty expensive money to borrow ... borrowing money I think from Beijing would be a pretty expensive enterprise."
The problem is that the state quest to get a bit of Asian capitalism, in a cargo cult mentality, could literally blow up in their faces, like the comic exploding cigar, or is it hypersonic missile?
https://amp.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/china-india-border-dispute-beijing-ready-to-deploy-troops-within-hours/news-story/80de30d4b99da310c59ed5c11403458a
“China has said thousands of troops, armoured vehicles and artillery could be deployed “within hours” as a conflict over a contested border between the nation and India, two nuclear powers, heats up. Now it seems Australia could be dragged into the spat with Chinese media linking the signing of a new defence pact between Canberra and New Delhi to the border skirmish. Over recent days, Chinese media has aired arresting pictures of civilian planes full of soldiers in fatigues holding guns. Hundreds more solders were seen boarding trains. Ostensibly, it’s all part of a military exercise to see how quickly China’s military machine can crank up. However, the troops have reportedly been sent within easy reach of the mountainous border with India where clashes have flared. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported the so called “manoeuvre operation” by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was completed in “just a few hours” and saw troops whisked from the country’s central Hubei province. They were sent to an unspecified location in the nation’s northwest.”
This is the problem of putting economics, and making a profit for local elites, above national interest, as politics has a way of turning economics on its head.
https://amp.smh.com.au/world/europe/mps-from-eight-countries-form-new-global-coalition-to-counter-china-20200604-p54zqj.html
NATO has offered a warning on the China threat, that Victoria should be aware of:
https://www.rt.com/news/491418-stoltenberg-china-warning-nato/
“NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the West “cannot ignore” either the military or economic rise of China, and admitted that the world is “facing a shift in the global balance of power.” Speaking to BBC Radio on Wednesday, Stoltenberg said Beijing was creeping closer to the West in multiple ways: through cyberspace, telecommunications, critical infrastructure and in Arctic exploration. “We cannot ignore the consequences of the rise of China. China will soon have the biggest economy in the world. They already have the second largest defense budget,” he warned. The head of the Western military alliance also said it was important that Britain reviewed the role of Chinese tech giant Huawei in its 5G network to guarantee its security. He said he trusts that the UK government will design its 5G networks in a way that ensures they will remain protected and “secure.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been heavily criticized over a decision to allow Huawei to help build Britain’s 5G network. Asked about Stoltenberg’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that China does not pose a threat to any country and that she hopes NATO can view its development “rationally,” Reuters reported. Stoltenberg noted that Beijing is investing “heavily” in modern military capabilities and has added 80 ships to its navy in just the past five years, which is equal to the total number of ships belonging to the UK’s Royal Navy. “China is becoming a more and more important military power and we have to address that,” he said, adding that NATO must ensure it remains a “strong force in the future” as it faces a “shift in the global balance of power.”
Get ready for some mighty dangerous times ahead.