China: Avarice, desire and consequence.

RICHARD BUTLER
China wants to own part of Australia. China wants Australian Iron Ore. China wants to own part of Rio Tinto. China wants a slice of the natural resources action.
China has a track record of treating its people like Gunns treats native forests. Maybe there’s a partner there for Gunns – except China would clean up the local management and have them washing cars in the car park within 3 minutes of starting work. China doesn’t hold back.

Recently the Melbourne International Film Festival scheduled the projection of a movie titled the “10 Conditions of Love” on Aug. 8. The movie is on the life of 62 year old, US based Chinese activist Rebiya Kadeer, once one of China’s most wealthy women and from minority Uighur origin.

In the country’s worst ethnic unrest in decades, protests by minority Uighurs descended into communal violence, with Uighur and Han Chinese groups beating one another in the streets of Urumqi, the capital of western Xinjiang province. The Chinese government says 197 people died and more than 1,700 were wounded.

On Wednesday, Kadeer said in Japan that 10,000 Uighur protesters had disappeared after the riots, and she demanded an international investigation. Ms Kadeer attended the screening Saturday and participated in a question and answer session to over 1000 people at the Festival.

Whatever the case and whatever the number, China hardly has a clean slate when it comes to its Human Rights. The expression of Australia’s concern to China on these matters seems fraught with deference and certainly is in direct contrast to the manner in which China addresses Australia.

However, the Chinese don’t do themselves any good when they commence interfering with concept they arent familiar with – Australian Freedom.

The response to the Melbourne International Film Festival has shown exactly how tight the Chinese want their issues kept ‘away back home’, under wraps and away from international attention. It has also shown the extent of their determination.

Initially, and in what alone stands as an outrageous assumption of entitlement, a senior female representative of the Chinese Embassy reportedly contacted the Festival directorate and demanded the film be withdrawn from the schedule. Then the festival web site was hacked and on a large number of occasions attempts were produced to block its operation. About 5 or 6 Chinese films were withdrawn from the festival at late notice out of protest. (kind of like Gunns pulling the pin on local sponsorships) and a number of official representations were made to various levels of Australian government. Those representations included advice that Melbourne would be flicked from its sister city status with Tianjin in China, and that was made to the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle by the Chinese Consulate General.

The sister city status between Melbourne and Tianjin was initiated In 1980, and at the time it was the first such relationship between an Australian city and a city in the People’s Republic of China.

Since the relationship was established many significant exchanges, events and partnerships have taken place. Melbourne and Tianjin have shared respect and have been justifiably proud of their relationship. 2010 hopefully sees the 30th anniversary of this very successful alliance.

The city of Melbourne web site explains: the partnership with Tianjin not only fosters international understanding and goodwill between the two cities but also recognises the contributions made by the Chinese community to Melbourne’s business, cultural and community life. In 1998, the Melbourne Office opened in Tianjin to facilitate trade, investment and educational exchange between the two cities.

It is also worth examining the buffoonery and the belly bumping of the Chinese protest to the film festival. The festival is Australia’s largest and one of its most successful – however it runs on a lean and mean budget. Since this issue was blown open by the Chinese the level of positive publicity afforded to the festival has taken it around the world, and provided it with a profile almost without precedent, and certainly one it could not have afforded to purchase via a conventional PR campaign.

In doing so – it could be argued that the Chinese have oxygenated exactly what they sought to suffocate, and the inconveniences caused to many Australian Film festival patrons will not be forgotten. Ever.

2009 will remain the year the Chinese sought to interfere with Australian cultural tradition and constitutional freedoms, and in doing so has sought to bring consequences not only to itself but to the ongoing cordial and long standing relationship between cities of Melbourne and Tianjin.

But let’s not forget this – when you do business with the Chinese, it is on their terms, and not on one of understanding, tolerance or cultural diversity. It’s done on their terms, their way and there are consequences for non compliance. Congratulations to Robert Doyle and the Festival for holding ground.

What I told the Consulate General

Dear Consulate General

A short note to thank the People’s Republic of China for helping with the strong promotion of the Melbourne Film Festival. Without your direct and attempted interference – the Festival would have quietly slipped by without any expanded and additional exposure for the Program, the various films and the issues you raised.

So thank you – without you helping ‘fly the flag’ for the festival – I would not have bothered to see the films.

A better form of positive PR could not have been purchased on any Australian festival budget.

Thank you and best wishes

R.