Chairman
At Krectors of DAVID SYME
- was prevoutly cheef editor of ine nge
belonging to by me organinihin.
Address by Mr Ranald Macdonald to the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference
In honouring me with this invitation to address your distinguished Committee, I believe you also expect
me to speak frankly and without reserve. This is what
I shall do.
My involvement with China, and that of my colleagues, and of our newspaper, the Melbourne "Age", has been characterised by professional and personal relationships which are respectful, constructive and cordial. Equally important to the success of our collaboration has been the fact that the relationship has also been direct and forthright.
If I speak very frankly today it is with this same respect and friendship. I want to discuss some matters which might be thought rather sensitive for an address of this kind. But I do so in the confidence that you have not asked me here to listen to platitudes.
I want to take, a critical look at some aspects of China's engagement with the world in general and with Australia in particular. If Australia-China relations are as sound as we, and our political leaders, believe them to be, then they can easily withstand critical scrutiny. if they are not, then they deserve such scrutiny. either event, this is the only way to a healthy, creative and satisfying relationship.
In
And
I believe
My newspaper's close involvement with China spans the
For us, it period of China's policy of the Open Door. has been a challenging and exciting experience. it has been challenging and exciting also for our Chinese colleagues to be a part of China's engagement with the
outside world.
Our perspective On China/...