When Foreign Minister Penny Wong concluded her meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 in South Africa last week, insiders were quick to note a striking development: the Chinese side arrived without a list of demands. For years, every bilateral meeting between Canberra and Beijing carried the Chinese Communist Party's well-known grievances: trade restrictions, Huawei bans, or AUKUS defence agreements. Yet this time, there was silence. Far from an oversight, this "empty list" was designed to speak volumes. And it did. Beijing signalled a remarkable shift in approach towards Canberra, one that appears aimed...