How Xi Jinping lost Australia POLITICO

SYDNEY Nearly 10 years ago, Australia thought it was on the cusp of a beautiful friendship with China: It was opening up its economy to Beijing, wanted to teach Mandarin in schools and invited the Chinese president to address parliament. 

Now, that s all over.

These days, Australia is buying up nuclear-powered submarines to fend off Beijing, barring the country from key markets and bristling at its relentless attempts to coerce Australian politicians and media. 

In part, the head-spinning shift reflects rising global wariness of China s increasingly pugilistic behavior.

But for Chinese President Xi Jinping, it also offers a remarkable example of how his relentless attempts to control the economic and cultural climate overseas can rapidly boomerang even in a country receptive to Beijing s overtures. Instead of bullying Australia into submission, Xi s wolf warrior tactics simply pushed Australia right back into its traditional military nexus, with the U.S. and U.K., costing Beijing a potentially valuable partner in the region.

Here s how things turned sour so quickly.

via www.politico.eu