The Securitization of ‘Chinese Influence’ in Australia

This article traces the emergence of ‘Chinese influence’ as a conceptual touchstone Australia’s public policy discourse in 2017–2018. The People’s Republic China’s (PRC) efforts to influence politics abroad had been well documented since 2000s and cannot explain timing their securitization from mid-2017. It was through formation securitizing coalition intelligence officials, politicians, journalists that PRC source existential threats gained traction. But expanded security agencies politicians media, scope threat an initial concern with party-state activity much wider array state non-state activities under ambiguous label influence’.