Australian comedian Jenny Tian set off a wave of deep laughter across an Adelaide audience at a recent comedy festival by saying she had tired of democracy at home. So, Tian explained, she moved to the US to give “fascism” a whirl instead.
The 30-year-old showbiz pro was born to Chinese parents, making her race a rarity in Western stand-up comedy. But the crowd was a near sell-out.
I saw Tian’s March performance during a visiting media tour of Australia after days of meetings with national officials and chats with academics.
Advertisement
I found Tian’s joke to be a metaphor for Australia’s world outlook in 2026: resentment towards the US and a warming towards China.
US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have raised too many doubts for Australia over the past 14 months about where to ship exports, such as the wine I was served almost every night during the trip.
Advertisement
