During an Australian television programme on security agents’ raid last month on Labor Party member of parliament Shaoquett Moselmane, in relation to alleged links with the Chinese Communist government, the reporter asked an agent of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute: “He [Moselmane] may well say he was simply a true believer in the ideals promoted by the Chinese Communist Party. Is that fair enough?” A fair question, I thought, but I was astounded by the agent’s reply: “It would be pretty unusual … [and] rare for the Chinese Communist Party to genuinely win over people through their ideology. It often operates by coercion or inducement.” I fear that such prejudiced attitudes, if prevalent in Australia’s security circle, can only damage Australia-China relations and, hence, Australia’s future. Francis Lee, Sydney, Australia How appealing is Australia for Hongkongers? Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister, seeks to entice young Hongkongers fleeing the imagined tyranny of Beijing’s national security legislation by offering them a pathway to permanent residency (“ Australia offers Hongkongers pathway to permanent residency ”, July 9). It will be interesting to see how many take up his offer; the allure of high taxes, a population intolerant of Asians and an economy entering a downturn is not as appealing as he may think. Hong Kong remains at the heart of the Pearl River Delta’s growth , and the low taxation and career opportunities, combined with a lifestyle far more diverse than the sunburned country offers, may mean saying “G’day” will never be as attractive as “ni hao ma”. Mark Peaker, The Peak
