As I see itAustralia’s anti-China rhetoric and Aukus sabre-rattling give the lie to ‘Harmony Day’

Name: China warns Aukus against going down ‘dangerous road’ over nuclear-powered submarine pact
Uploaded: 2023-03-24T00:00:15.000Z
Duration: 2 min 52 s
Description: China warns Aukus against going down ‘dangerous road’ over nuclear-powered submarine pact

Aukus brought to the fore anti-China sentiments that have been circulating in Australia’s media for years, giving racists ammunition and fuelling hate

Between the warmongering ‘red alert’ articles and submarine sabre-rattling, harmony seems to be sadly absent from society and public discourse of late

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Activists from the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism at a recent protest against neo-Nazis in Melbourne. Photo: AAP/dpa

Su-Lin Tanin Singapore

Published: 8:00am, 24 Mar 2023

It’s ironic that Australia commemorated “Harmony Day” this week.

Dreamed up 24 years ago by the Howard government as a local version of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD), it’s supposed to be a celebration of diversity, respect and belonging.

Yet there’s been much disharmony in Australia of late, and not just in regards to racial discrimination.

For most of this week, and last, the country was preoccupied with Aukus and warmongering, after it was revealed that Canberra had agreed to pay up to A$368 billion (US$246 billion) to the US for a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

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China warns Aukus against going down ‘dangerous road’ over nuclear-powered submarine pact

Aukus – the three-way security tie up between Australia, the US and Britain – was sold to the public as a regional peacekeeping plan, though some fear it’s squarely aimed at China and represents a slippery slope towards an arms race.