The head of ANU’s National Security College and new adviser to the Morrison government, Professor Rory Medcalf, says the current coronavirus crisis is an opportunity for Australia and other middle-sized powers in the region to deal with the Chinese regime in a stronger and more confident manner and reduce tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
A former diplomat, Medcalf, who was just last week appointed to the advisory board of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, said Tuesday that the way the coronavirus epidemic has been dealt with by the Chinese authorities has prompted the Chinese people to lose confidence in the country’s leadership.