Express Briefings: Tony Abbott, BBC Proms, and More


This Week:

  • Australia's foreign relations bill faces increasing criticism from within, with critics decrying it as 'Sinophobic'. The bill, which seeks to give the Foreign Minister the power to cancel any trade deals made by state governments, was widely seen as being aimed at the Victoria State government's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, seen as undermining federal government policy.
  • The UK's BBC has been facing a turbulent few weeks, after reports that the BBC's Last Night of the Proms would not be playing 'Rule Britannia!' and "Land of Hope and Glory' due to alleged links to colonialism. After a barrage of criticism, the BBC reversed its decision. Our Int'l Editor George Duff has written on the BBC's status in the UK and the decision itself.
  • US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is under fire by President Trump and his Republican allies for visiting a hair salon without a mask on. Pelosi was accused of hypocrisy, having called on Americans to wear masks, with her fellow Democrat Governors shutting down hardest. 
  • The UK government was dogged by criticism of their hiring of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has a controversial history. The UK's Health Secretary and Trade Secretary were among those questioned for the government's decision, with critics noting his climate-sceptic comments, as well as his alleged misogyny.

Breakdown:

There is no question that the UK's BBC faces an existential crisis that radiates to places like Hong Kong, where we have a public broadcaster - RTHK - constantly at odds with the government. While RTHK, like the BBC, seeks to preserve its independence from the government, it nonetheless remains accused of an entrenched culture of anti-government bias. The same can be said of the BBC, whose decision not to play the lyrics to 'Rule Britannia!' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' was more than a misjudgement, but part of a pattern of steps taken to anger the government. The BBC's new Director-General, Tim Davie, pledged reform, including warning employees about campaigning on social media and declaring the end of the BBC's expansion. This brings up the new question of: what about RTHK? Will it face the same fate?

With the US Election about 2 months away, polling remains inconsistent. With the increased violence these past few months and Joe Biden's perceived failure to stop them, the race is appearing increasingly close, with mud being thrown left, right, and centre. Nonetheless, if one thing's to be confirmed, it's that the US's position on China will get tougher. While Republicans like Trump, Rubio (R-FL), and Pence, among others, attack China and the HK National Security Law, Democrats are equally anti-China, with figures such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Speaker Pelosi, and Biden increasingly critiquing China, with their blows landing much softer.


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