Longitudinal change in the attitude of Australian government towards the belt and road initiative: Stages, causes and countermeasures

Abstract

To analyze the longitudinal change in the Australian government's attitude towards the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), various sources on the BRI have been examined. The findings indicate a shift in the Australian government's attitude from positive to negative since 2013. This change can be attributed to several factors, including the influence of the United States, the presence of a conservative and xenophobic culture within Australian society, the longstanding policy of maintaining “cold political relations and hot economic ties” between Australia and China, and the political struggle between political parties in Australia. To address this issue, it is recommended to clarify the true nature of the BRI, adjust international cooperation models, enhance the standardization of international BRI cooperation mechanisms, and expedite the development of the BRI discourse system. This research may provide a political, economic, and cultural perspective on the deteriorating Sino-Australian relationship in terms of BRI cooperation.

Keywords

• Australian government
• The belt and road initiative
• Attitude
• Longitudinal change
• Sino-Australia relationship