Fresh thinking needed on relationship with China

SOME common sense needs to be applied to our important relationship with China. Just because our Aussie ‘‘friends’’ delight in driving this sideways does not mean we have to.

As a student in Otago University’s early Chinese language class (mid’ 90s), and having lived in China for close to 20 years, I can attest China is super complex and a tad tricky for little ole Aotearoa.

There has been talk that we need to stick with ‘‘our allies’’ on China. Arguably, the reason we fought wars previously was to gain independence on our relations with other nations.

We can take a leaf from Maori knowledge and look at the relationship with China from a longer, multigenerational perspective, instead of our current issuebyissue hysteria.

From a practical perspective, we can roll out a form of principled ‘‘flipflopping’’ — saying what we need to say, without destroying our relationship with the world’s fastest growing economy.

For Otago and Southland, our relationship with China is vital to local tourism and hospitality, our farming community, local Chinese community and not least, education sector.

Also, Dunedin has established deep sister city relationships with Shanghai and other Chinese cities, decades of work that are potentially hijacked by folks that can only see China as a political football.

Jerry Clode St Clair

Council rates

ABOVE inflation increases in Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council rates, and above inflation increases in Aurora Energy electricity lines charges and electricity consumer prices.

Yet benefits increases are aligned with inflation and public sector wages are now frozen for the foreseeable future.

How will households cope with such financial pressures in the year ahead? Tony Binns

Waverley

Graduation disruption

IN December 2020, nearly 3000 graduates from both the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic campuses were denied the opportunity to celebrate their wellearned success, following the abrupt cancellation of all graduation ceremonies.

This was due to the alleged actions of a woman who reputedly was going to initiate some form of ‘‘terrorist activity’’.

Since her first court appearance in December, the silence surrounding this case has been deafening.

Thousands of family and friends of graduates throughout New Zealand were negatively affected financially, as were many local businesses supporting the graduation ceremonies and activities.

Will our judicial system hold her to account for her actions?

Neville Wellbourn Hataitai [Abridged]

BIBLE READING: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. — Matthew 21.4.2.