On the evening of September 17th, 2018, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) held the 25th seminar of "North Pavilion Seminar" series. Greg McCarthy, Professor of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, The University of Western Australia and the Second Chair Professor of the Australian studies co-organized by PKU and BHP, gave a seminar entitled "Australian 'Changst'". The seminar was hosted by Gui Yongtao, Assistant President of the IISS and Associate Professor of the School of International Studies (SIS), PKU.

Prof. McCarthy came straight to the point at the very start of the seminar and introduced the close relations between China and Australia, the origin of Australia's contradictory perception of "China's rise", the general anxiety about China's development in Australia, and the New Orientalism by starting from theoretical foundations and taking historical development as a background. He then explained the specific manifestations and causes of Australian "Changst" in terms of economic interests, national defense pressure, and cultural penetration by introducing six cases in the fields of mining, real estate, agriculture, education, and others. In addition, he emphasized the security dilemma faced by China and Australia – Australia's dissatisfaction with China's "political interference" and China's responses to that. Finally, he reviewed and reflected on the origin of Australia's anxiety, and pointed out the possibility that the anxiety becomes a threat. He raised the question of whether there are other options for Australia in the end.

In the comment and question-and-answer session, Prof. McCarthy had in-depth exchanges and discussions with the teachers and students present at the seminar on issues such as China's investment modes in Australia and the underlying causes of the political characteristics of the Australian "Changst". (Contributed by Sun Siyang)