With the Prime Miniister in Beijing for a historic visit, James Curran speaks with host Amy Mullins as he examines Australia's diplomatic relationship with China, their long and varied relationship dynamic since the 1970s, and whether the so-called "China threat" today is real or imagined. James Curran is international editor of the Australian Financial Review and Professor of Modern History at the University of Sydney.

James speaks in-depth about his latest essay for Australian Foreign Affairs, 'Excess Baggage: Is China A Genuine Threat To Australia?' James writes that, "Australia’s fears of China... are profoundly shaped by what is being said and discussed in Washington." Are Australia's fears largely unfounded? What are China's intentions toward Taiwan? What is the United States aiming to achieve through AUKUS?

Read an edited extract of James' essay here.

Companion interview with former Australian Ambassador to China Geoff Raby.

Photo: Prime Miniser Anthony Albanese meets President Xi Jinping on 6 November 2023. Photo Credit: Lukas Coch/EPA.