23-06-2018, 01:26 PM
To add to Ron's comments (and to be a little less flippant than my earlier post) I have travelled and worked in a few places in the Pacific since the 1980's.
In the early days every where you went there were signs saying that this road, bridge, building, hospital, sportsground, etc, etc, etc was funded by AusAID.
TV and Radio news services if not provided by, were stolen from Radio Australia or some other Australian media outlet.
Even the telecommunication pits in the footpath had the old PMG or Telecom Australia logo.
Over the last ten or fifteen years this has faded and has been replaced by Chinese flags and logos. This is not a new drift towards China, despite the Foreign Minister and DFAT recently saying they were surprised by China's funding wharves* and buildings in Vanuatu. It has been going on for a couple of decades.
I guess our little neighbours aren't as exciting to visit as New York, London or The Hague.
So them not predicting that when they saved a pittance by closing RA that China would fill the gap and use it for propaganda is not that surprising to me.
* I have worked on and from the wharf that was in the news not long ago. It was built by the US in 1942 and had not really been touched since. So it did need replacing, and ships tend to be bigger than they were in 1942 so is it any wonder that the Chinese extended to length of the wharf when they replaced it?
In the early days every where you went there were signs saying that this road, bridge, building, hospital, sportsground, etc, etc, etc was funded by AusAID.
TV and Radio news services if not provided by, were stolen from Radio Australia or some other Australian media outlet.
Even the telecommunication pits in the footpath had the old PMG or Telecom Australia logo.
Over the last ten or fifteen years this has faded and has been replaced by Chinese flags and logos. This is not a new drift towards China, despite the Foreign Minister and DFAT recently saying they were surprised by China's funding wharves* and buildings in Vanuatu. It has been going on for a couple of decades.
I guess our little neighbours aren't as exciting to visit as New York, London or The Hague.
So them not predicting that when they saved a pittance by closing RA that China would fill the gap and use it for propaganda is not that surprising to me.
* I have worked on and from the wharf that was in the news not long ago. It was built by the US in 1942 and had not really been touched since. So it did need replacing, and ships tend to be bigger than they were in 1942 so is it any wonder that the Chinese extended to length of the wharf when they replaced it?
Colin
Barossa Valley, SAP. PF95ln
(aka VK5CSW)
Barossa Valley, SAP. PF95ln
(aka VK5CSW)