Silent Invasion: China's Influence in Australia

Thank you sir for your scholarly analysis and academic courage.I did find the book a bit repetitive at times which made me think that it was written as a collection of articles over some time rather than as a standalone piece. But the facts stand to scrutiny, the referencing is impeccable and the interpretations pretty objective.However, I do not share though the Author's anxieties regarding the imperialistic and belligerent attitudes of the modern China. The pre-requisite for a nation to become a world super-power, especially through 'silent' tactics is to be able to export its language and culture. Lately there have been some significant investments into the movie industry, media etc. by PCC affiliated companies but is that really going to make a great deal of a difference? The problem with these Chinese dreams of post-modern colonialism is that:- Globalization has made sure that even the most remote and vulnerable nations (see Africa) are in a much better position to resist passively to undue influences- China has NO FRIENDS. A handful of smarmy ex-politicians or nerdy academics don't count. they're employees or mercenaries. Simply there aren't any nations/tribes that share deep historical tribal or cultural affiliations with China.- the technological advancements available to most nations allow for very some destructive asymmetrical warfare and making an open serious military conflict that is required for territorial invasion extremely risky- and most importantly, millennia of geographical and cultural isolation has produced a highly specialized, homogeneous culture which has such little appeal to the outside world. The otherwise great Chinese cultural exports of work ethics and resilience have little appeal to an increasingly hedonistic and entitled Westernized society. If anything the Chinese society is much more vulnerable to the Western influence.However, I can see how in a 'Black Swan' event of severe Global crisis (ie climate change, asteroid hit, pandemic) the Chinese may find themselves in an unique advantageous position to send significant humanitarian aid to beleaguered nations and easily establish a physical "friendly" military presence in countries otherwise out of reach.

As a Taiwan citizen who spent a number of years in Hong Kong, the Chinese Communist Party's United Front tactics and activities were something I thought I was very familiar with, until I read this book. The breadth and depth of the CCP's infiltration into mainstream Australian society and its success in manipulating public figures and people of influence, not the mention the speed with which this was achieved is truly staggering. By the time I got a few chapters into the book, I felt Australia had been caught napping, but by the time I was halfway through I felt Australia must have been caught almost comatose. Thank God it's now woken up, just about, and this very book owes something to that. Thoroughly researched and referenced, Silent Invasion leaves the United Front Work Department with no room for 'plausible deniability', something it normally excels in. As the reach of the CCP's intolerant propaganda machine is now global, this book should be compulsory reading for all diplomatic service personnel, of every country!

Bit of a wake up call for Australia over foreign influence. Intriguing read so far - not yet finished.

As the cliche goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they’re not out to get you. This book does vitally important work in exposing the tradecraft used by the Chinese Communist Party in infiltrating Australia using every possible means.This book should be read by people all across the West, because the same methods are being used by Red China to infiltrate and subvert all of our societies. Though this book was written before the pandemic, so any of the following sound familiar to Canadian or American readers today:- Various grandees and business leaders who turn out to be in the pay of China?- Student leaders whose loyalty is to China and who viciously attack those who speak for freedom for Hong Kong or Tibet or against the Uighur genocide?- Prominent voices who seek to equate criticism of the CCP with racism?Read this book so you can understand what is going on behind the headlines.

When Clive Hamilton writes about an issue, no one can ever challenge his commitment to build his conclusions on sound research. I was not made aware of this by the endnotes only but even more by reading his critics. He doesn't shrink from naming lots of very contemporary names. Most of those names have remained silent. Of the well-known and lesser-known critics, I noticed that none of them was prepared to disagree with his research or question the veracity of the quotations. All of the critics made general comments, accusing him of being extreme, scaremongering or even being racially discriminating. But I didn't read any challenge to a particular point of his argument.In customary style, Clive raises awareness to a problem that all of us should be concerned about. He does it well. Even though he refers to hundreds of sample incidents, it doesn't become repetitious or boring. It just escalates the concern - which it should.

I knew what I was in for when I began reading "Silent Invasion," but I was surprised nonetheless by the revelations brought up in this book. The depth and scale of the PRC's actions in Australia are surprising to say the least.While I think there is always a danger that some people might misinterpret this book as another cry of "Yellow Peril," I believe that cooler aheads will agree that the dangers this book points out are all too real. We must be vigilant in guarding democracy, lest it slip away from our grasp in the darkness of the night.

I spent 15 years in China so this book by Prof. Hamilton was of particular interest to me. It's quite riveting and explains clearly how Australia [and other countries] are being infiltrated at many levels by the CCP. It's well researched and very relevant given the circumstances we find ourselves in these days.

This book is a very well articulated and is full of good examples of the current secret conflict being waged by china on a naive and sleeping world. Albeit only a fraction of what there is to discover on the global stage, if one cares to investigate a little.This is needed a wake up call, CCP-China has only been strengthened by western greed and complacency. If we keep feeding the beast, it will just grow bigger teeth to maul its weaker neighbors with....

Le livre de Clive Hamilton est un "cours de rattrapage" sur l'influence et la corruption, sans pathos, sans complotisme, sans didactisme, basé sur l'accumulation d'informations toutes sourcées.Il s'applique aux relations entre la Chine et l'Australie (que la Chine considère être dans sa zone d'influence directe) et comme tel peut paraitre lointain au lecteur français, mais les ambitions de leadership mondial de la Chine au 21ème siècle lui donnent un premier intérêt évident, puisque l'avion existe et que pour la Chine, la France ou l'Australie sont deux petites choses.Mais ce livre présente aussi d'autres attraits.D'abord le fait qu'il s'agisse d'un philosophe australien qui écrive, et sans aucun recours au vocabulaire philosophique comme arme d'intimidation, est très raffraichissant, et presque en soi-même une leçon de démocratie venant du pays où les clients des taxis sont censés monter à côté du chauffeur, pas derrière.Ensuite, dans un pays comme la France, où le terme de complotisme est sans cesse utilisé comme arme de disqualification de l'adversaire, cette enquête factuelle, obstinée, pondérée, sur un travail indiscutable et pas forcément répréhensible de la Chine pour augmenter son influence partout où ses intérêts l'exigent, et avec desméthodes sans cesse adaptées aux lieux et aux circonstances force l'admiration, et ne peut que susciter une demande pour un traitement aussi peu paresseux de nos propres problèmes internes ou externes. Par exemple, où lirions-nous en France un simple membre de phrase comme "des gens à qui le ministre des finances ou le premier ministre [ou le président] répondent s'ils les appellent" (p 135) ?Bref un livre de prime abord un peu rébarbatif avec tous ces noms chinois ou australiens de parfaits inconnus, ces institutions étranges aux acronymes pénibles, ces détails sans fin de repas, de voyages, de dons, de campagnes électorales dans des banlieues de Sydney, mais en fait une lecture facile, dépaysante, et surtout salubre et éclairante, soulevant des questions qu'il est indispensable de poser, par rapport à toutes les puissances qui s'exercent sur nous, influences étrangères, GAFA, lobbies, système technicien et autres agents intelligents et tous "amis qui nous veulent du bien" ... et quelques éléments de réponse.---2 remarques :- le 11/12/2018 le commentaire d'Adrian (1 étoile) dit que le livre commence par une affirmation fausse : "des dizaines de milliers d'étudiants chinois" serait à la fois faux et impossible, et Adrian dit qu'il y était. Pourtant il y a sur internet un article Reuters du 24 avril 2008 qui commence ainsi "More than 10,000 Chinese Australians staged the biggest pro-Beijing rally" etc. Il est vrai que la photo ne montre que quelques centaines de personnes, mais elle est prise presque à hauteur d'homme. Adrian dit aussi que la pelouse est trop petite. Sur Google Earth on voit que la pelouse immédiatement devant fait 11000m², mais il y en a d'autres autour... Mais puisque Adrian y était...- j'ai traduit le bouquin en français, mais pas encore trouvé d'éditeur. Dommage, car il est fort intéressant.

Silent Invasion describes China’s insidious and relentless infiltration of Australia’s politics, culture, real estate, agriculture, utilities, universities, unions and even schools. Anyone concerned about China’s growing influence, power and control in the West must read this book! What has, and still is, happening in Australia is already well established in the West – and we should take notice of this powerful and thoroughly researched book before it’s too late.Silent Invasion demonstrates how China deploys subtle means, often threatening, to undermine Australia’s political, academic and institutional independence and free-thinking. And Professor Hamilton cites numerous examples of bribery, naivety and self-interest throughout Australia’s political and academic elite unwittingly aiding the Chinese Communist Party’s strategy of extending Chinese culture and policies throughout the country.The underlying message of Silent Invasion is that the Chinese Communist Party is a Leninist party state, with an organised philosophy of propaganda to undermine anything opposed to it, both at home and abroad. It makes promises (and tells lies) that can be discarded when convenient, so anything it says can be taken at face value. And the CCP requires all Chinese living abroad to be PRC citizens first and foremost and so act as agents for the Chinese Communist Party.

Eye opening state of how China sees the world and its ambitions while it brings home the point of differentiating between china the country the state or party and its people.