What a strange contrast in our relations with China. On the one hand we have just signed the biggest supply contract in this nation's history. The " Gorgon " gas field will deliver $ 50 billion to Australia's coffers over the next twenty years - and this will underpin coal and iron ore as exports that will bring us prosperity.
At the same time China is miffed - and seems to be punishing Australia by demanding that we kowtow to their wishes - and gain their approval of whom we can invite here as guests.
China has protested about Australia talking to the Daila Lama - and has withdrawn films from a film festival and snubbed a Pacific area meeting in Cairns because of a visit from a representative of the Uigher people, Rebiya Kadeer.
Such a demand is at best sheer rudeness - and at worst an attempt to subvert the authority of our elected government to make decisions on behalf of our citizens.
China is not a democracy and it seems that it's leaders are exploiting their growing financial power to try and impose their authority on the rest of the world. This is likely to increase as the Chinese economy expands because the profits will allow an increase in military spending - just as the rest of the world contracts because of debt associated with the recession.
When the cold war ended it looked like a new era of peace. Now we have a new military super power emerging. China is pushing hard on many frontiers - including space exploration - and it seems clear that in the decades ahead it will be the richest trading nation.
Unfortunately, this will not be riches shared amongst firms owned by it's citizens. Those riches will be in the hands of a totalitarian government with the habit of imposing an iron rule on it's own people.
Trading with China is a double edged sword. It will bring us prosperity - but at the same time take us into the orbit of a behemoth with no compunction in using it's powers to impose it's authority.
The road ahead will see us negotiate many rocky patches !
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