Harry Harding

Opinion | A China closed off from the rest of the world is a loss to everyone

The days of China’s rise driving international forums, meetings and events bringing people together from all over the globe seem like a distant memory

The growing gap between China and other countries is a loss for everyone involved, the world as a whole and the future of multilateralism

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China’s then commerce minister Gao Hucheng (left) and Australia’s then prime minister Tony Abbott (centre) and minister for trade Andrew Robb pose for a photo after signing a free trade agreement between the two countries on June 17, 2015, in Canberra, Australia. The era of enthusiasm and optimism from the wider world over engagement with China appears to be at an end, representing a loss for all sides. Photo: Getty Images

Harry Harding

Published: 3:30am, 18 Oct 2022

Politics and China have long been a tedious combination, requiring the delicate application of subtlety and ambiguity to straddle an omnipresent gap. The lengths required to keep one foot planted firmly on either side have now become so great that those attempting to maintain balance see that even the slightest wobble could result in a devastatingly steep fall, in terms of both career and personal relationships.

The four decades following China’s exploration into reform and opening up saw levels of engagement skyrocket to unprecedented levels. The Belt and Road Initiative has acted as additional fertiliser that saw the spawning of international forums, meetings and events bringing people from all corners of the world together, as long as they weren’t opposed to the grand plan.

But since China has seemingly recalibrated its direction, tensions between Western countries and China have grown worse and Covid-19 has all but closed China’s borders, those days of fruitful interaction feel more like a distant memory.

Almost three years since the pandemic’s initial outbreak, it is unclear when, or if, that kind of engagement might return. If it does, it is also unclear who might be welcome to rejoin.

Among those once invited to attend such gatherings were former heads of state, CEOs and directors of the world’s top enterprises, as well as global scholars who had dedicated their lives to understanding an ever-evolving China. Some might now find themselves unsuitable for participation when the gates reopen.

As an Australian journalist and presenter for a Chinese media organisation, I have long felt the pressure associated with living simultaneously between two oftentimes contradictory worlds, especially in the last two to three years as diplomatic tensions rose between my home country and my host country.

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Opinion | A China closed off from the rest of the world is a loss to everyone

The days of China’s rise driving international forums, meetings and events bringing people together from all over the globe seem like a distant memory The growing gap between China and other countries is a loss for everyone involved, the world as a whole and the future of multilateralism

The days of China’s rise driving international forums, meetings and events bringing people together from all over the globe seem like a distant memory

The growing gap between China and other countries is a loss for everyone involved, the world as a whole and the future of multilateralism