Can China Sway Australia?
From Pekingology by Center for Strategic and International Studies
February 19, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
The episode explores China's strategy towards Australia and the implications for national security and public opinion.
In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Charlie Edel, Senior Adviser and Australia Chair at CSIS. Charlie unpacks China’s strategy towards Australia, an influential, democratic middle power that maintains strong economic ties to China and a security alliance with the United States. How has Beijing used economic coercion and inducements to try and sway Australian policy? Why has Australian public opinion turned sharply against China? And why has Australia come to see Chinese actions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait – thousands of miles from the Australian coast – as a threat to Australia’s national security?
People in this episode
Host: Henrietta Levin
Guest: Charlie Edel
Topics covered
- China-Australia relations
- economic coercion
- national security
- public opinion
- geopolitics
Keywords
- China
- Australia
- economic ties
- national security
- public opinion
- South China Sea
- Taiwan Strait
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CSIS
Places: Australia, China, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, United States
More episodes of Pekingology
- Inside the China-Russia Partnership · June 11, 2026 · 42 min
- Can China Control North Korea? · May 28, 2026 · 38 min
- BONUS POD: Trump and Xi Meet in China · May 15, 2026 · 44 min
- How to Win a Summit: China’s Economic and Commercial Leverage · May 14, 2026 · 44 min
- China and the Iran War: Beijing's Ambitions in the Middle East · April 30, 2026 · 39 min
- Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China · April 16, 2026 · 46 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Pekingology podcast page.