Bill.birtles on Threads.

I’m moving 🏡

Such a pleasure to host you, President Widodo.

Joko Widodo arrives in Australia tonight. The economically buoyant Indonesia is very interested in Australia's lithium reserves to build its domestic electric car industry. Here's Indonesia correspondent Bill Birtles. #abc730

Meanwhile an Indonesian football commentator who is now trying to sell the pricey tix he bought for Monday’s match in Jakarta sans Messi told me: “Argentina without Messi is like buying tickets to the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger”. Chris Martin better turn up in November!

I suspect the security guards at Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium might be sent to fitness training after this last night in the Australia-Argentina game.

Amazing how long this Chinese fan — to huge cheers — was able to run around the pitch, hug Messi and almost finish another lap.

🚨 Video: A Chinese warship came within 150 yards of hitting American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon.

Embarked journalists captured the moment on video & witnessed the near collision.

'The fact this was announced over the radio prior to doing it clearly indicated it was intentional.'

Farewell to the China reporting patch and farewell to Taiwan, after an extraordinarily unusual 8 years covering China and the East Asia region for the ABC: abc.net.au/news/backstory…

Interesting. The Ambassador says China has tried to set up a “working group” with Australian officials to discuss its bid for the CPTPP. But he says Australia has refused to participate, and doesn’t want to have a detailed discussion. Which is not exactly hugely surprising 9/

Classic Zhongshan District 中山區

In recent days, Chinese vessels, including the research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10, as well as coast guard and maritime militia ships, entered Vietnam's EEZ in the South China Sea. This provocative action appears to be aimed at pressuring Vietnam to halt its new drilling campaign

Australia got top billing at yesterday’s foreign ministry press conference in Beijing. That’s rare.

Of course, no Australian reporters were in the room to ask a question (the two reporters Beijing has let into the country for 2 days were elsewhere).

So thanks to AFP for asking.

Third time (?) a PLA surveillance drone has gone the whole way around Taiwan? Either way, it’s about normalising it. A year ago this map would have sparked headlines, now crossing the median line and even flying around the whole island increasingly normal.

Long Global Times piece on Trade Minister Don Farrell’s China visit. Mainly reporting on Aus media write ups about the visit, but then delves into the usual attack on the United States, finishing with reliable Party-line loyalist Chen Hong warning Aus not to follow US hegemony:

After six years, I’ve left Sixth Tone. Or conditions were created for me to leave after publishing a project that criticized “zero-COVID,” which landed multiple people in hot water. It’s been bittersweet leaving a place we’ve built over the years but it was time.

(A long 🧵)

Twitter post-Musk is much better

Watch this space.
Whatever is about to happen with #China 's research ship Xiang Yang Hong 10, they seem to think it will require a LOT of security.
There are 7 militia ships and 2 coast guard ships escorting it. 4 more militia ships just left Fiery Cross Reef and are headed that

Jokowi hasn't said much publicly on AUKUS or the Quad and yes this is fairly boilerplate but still ... seems a clear shift. Imagine Australia will be very pleased to hear the President saying 'we should view the Quad and AUKUS as partners, not competitors'

Canada has summoned China’s ambassador to respond to allegations of political interference and intimidation of opposition lawmaker Michael Chong

cnn.com/2023/05/04/ame…