China's soft power extends to politics, media and universities in Australia

When the Chinese government donated a library to the University of Technology Sydney few people noticed. Only slightly more seemed to care when groups friendly to Beijing began funding think tanks in Australia, making political donations and paying primary schools to run Chinese language programs.

For the public in Australia the "China issue" has always been more about economics than politics. Anger has centred on a perception that cashed up Chinese buyers were forcing locals out of the property market and buying up farmland.