Abstract

Since Canberra's embrace of a more confrontational China policy in the last four years, Australian scholars and analysts have begun to debate China's economic retaliation against Australia. This group of people, also known as “issue publics,” have special functions in the Australian foreign policymaking process. This article covers four years of debate within Australian issue publics since early 2017. It aims to document the major arguments that have emerged during this heated public debate on China's sanctions policy, Australia's vulnerability and resilience, and Australia's response to China's economic coercion. The review shows that the arguments expressed in this debate have been polarized. The black-and-white assessment of Chinese and Australian national interests reshaped the social atmosphere for policymaking. This somewhat contributed to the current stuckedness and ambiguity of Australia's China policy.