In 1989, five days after tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and brutally ended weeks of protests, the then prime minister Bob Hawke gave a horrifying description of what Australia thought happened.

But where did the account come from? And what did it get wrong?

Over the past three months China, If You're Listening investigated the source of this description and found it was a previously undisclosed diplomatic cable from the Australian Embassy in Beijing, which subsequently had key details retracted.

This is a bonus episode, produced with our friends at The Signal — a daily ABC News podcast.

Guests:

Blanche d'Alpuget, biographer and wife of late former prime minister Bob Hawke

Richard Rigby, Emeritus Professor of the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra

Craig Emerson, former advisor to Bob Hawke, and cabinet minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments

For decades Australia has taken the approach that when it comes to China; we can criticise their human rights record without risking our trading relationship.

We told China we disapproved of their crackdown on students at Tiananmen Square in 1989, but continued to sell them iron ore.

Xi Jinping has made it clear that the arrangement has now changed, as he simultaneously takes the lessons Beijing learned at Tiananmen, and applies them to a crackdown on Muslims in his country's far west.

Guests:

Rose Tang, 1989 Tiananmen Square protester

Alim Osman, president, Uyghur Association of Victoria

Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister

Yaqiu Wang, researcher, Human Rights Watch

At first glance, Chinese President Xi Jinping's life story seems simple. His father was a high-ranking Chinese government official, and opened doors for his son, who rose even higher.

But his rise to become the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong seems far more unlikely when you find out what Mao's policies did to Xi's family during his childhood.

In this episode we tell the story of Xi's — from its terrifying beginning to mysterious end — and ask if he is the catalyst for the deterioration of relations between China and Australia.

Guest:

Dr Joseph Torigian, expert on Chinese elite politics, American University

Dr Feng Chongyi — Associate Professor in China Studies — University of Technology, Sydney

Kevin Rudd, former Australian Prime Minister

Louisa Lim, author of The People's Republic of Amnesia and co-host of The Little Red Podcast

Dr Helen Sham-ho OAM, first Chinese-born MP in an Australian Parliament

A podcast about how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse.

Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping was regularly having warm, friendly chats with Australia's Prime Ministers.

Now, he won't even take our phone calls, trade is being blocked, and Australian politicians are talking about preparations for war.

Episode 1 coming on the 1st of June.

When the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake, President Donald Trump's new way of running the country suddenly left America exposed.

For a decade Donald Trump railed against China.

But once he was elected, Chinese President Xi Jinping quickly broke down Trump's defences.

In today's episode, how President Xi turned Trump's disdain for China into a beautiful friendship.

And created the perfect distraction from what China was really doing.

Just this month, the public finally got access to Donald Trump's tax returns.

They revealed that he pays little to no tax, because he makes very little money.

So what does a businessman do when he needs to revamp his image and make a little cash? Become the most famous person in the world.

How Donald Trump tried to make money off the Presidency.

Donald Trump ran for election on some promises - building a wall between the US and Mexico, and stopping the immigration of Muslims.

But instead of living up to his promise to stem the tide of immigrants, he resorted to truly shocking measures.

How did Donald Trump push America's immigration system to the limits of what is legal, and what is morally justifiable?

When George Floyd was killed by police, protestors took to the streets in worldwide support of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Donald Trump has a long history with speaking out on issues to do with race.

So how far did his law and order response go toward soothing America's centuries old racial divide.

When Donald Trump was elected, he promised to Make America Proud Again but did he just end up making it worse?

As a businessman and presidential candidate, Donald Trump was extremely harsh on Saudi Arabia.

So when Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside a Saudi consulate, why did Donald Trump come to the Kingdom's defence?