Battle of the Antipodes

History will show in stark relief that one of the most selfish and greed-based errors in the post Cold War period was the active participation of the Western democracies in building up the power of the Chinese Communist Party.

You can track the worst of this grasping period from the Clinton Era Loral Aerospace slime to the Obama, “We welcome the rise of China” expansion.

It was a bi-partisan error, though the bookends of the center-mass were (D). Both parties were driven by the money that could be made, contributions to be gathered, and in a smaller measure – a hope to avoid another Cold War.

Just as today we shake our head at the Soviet Union helping Germany rebuild her military power in the 1930s, so too will the future – if not dominated by the CCP information dominance campaign – report the crass stupidity of the late 20th and early 21st Century of the West vs. China.

It was/is not just an American problem. Running on a capitalist model of comparative advantage and marginal cost savings/gains independent of larger global strategic risks, the capitalist economies moved critical parts of their supply chain to China. As China grew richer and her people started to develop an appetite for more, other economies with an export model changed to serve that Chinese need.

As the relationship between government and people – and the rule of law – in China evolved, this inter-dependency gave the Chinese Communist Party a two edged blade. China controlled the production of things you need, and she also controlled access to markets your people have become reliant on.

China is now in a place where she is strong enough and rich enough to start throwing her weight around. What she cannot get through direct bribery and corruption, she will try to accomplish with threats. Especially smaller nations, she has no problem playing hardball to get them to kowtow.

Two traditional USA allies – by design – are under attack from China with this economic weapon right now. China wants those nations to act like the tributary states she sees them as.

The USA needs to provide all the economic, diplomatic, and informational support – and then some – these nations deserve.

First to Australia;

China has suspended imports from four large red meat abattoirs, fuelling concern of a campaign by Beijing against Australian producers in response to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's push for an independent coronavirus inquiry.
...
Australia's beef trade has boomed in recent years, based largely on Chinese demand. Last year, the country's imports reached $2.87 billion, double the value of imports in 2018 which were worth $1.37 billion. China accounted for 24 per cent of total Australian beef exports last year, up from 14 per cent in 2018 and 11 per cent in 2017, Meat and Livestock Australia figures show.

Next New Zealand who, rightfully, supports Taiwan's membership in the World Heath Organization;

"China urges New Zealand to strictly abide by the 'one China principle' and immediately stop making wrong statements on Taiwan, to avoid damaging our bilateral relationship."

China has denounced Taiwan's WHO attempts as a political stunt aimed at promoting the island's formal independence, and said it will fail in its efforts.

Note the high-handed and arrogant tone. That is intentional. 

"Wrong."

How these nations respond to China's pressure is important to watch. Any weakness will simply bring harder pressure to fall in line.