Australia efforts ‘not acceptable’
Exporters want ties with China to be repaired
www.globaltimes.cn FRIDAY JUNE 8, 2018 “There should be a long-term and stable view of bilateral relations rather than taking advantage of the relationship and not maintaining it.” Yu Lei Research fellow at the Oceania Research Center of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong Province
Australia’s dilemma over its China policy has come to light in recent days, with Australian officials seeking to avoid potential damage to bilateral trade ties but reluctant to make any concrete moves to improve the overall diplomatic relationship.
On Thursday, Mark McGowan, premier of Western Australia, took matters into his own hands as he led a delegation to Beijing, aiming to improve trade and investment ties between his state and China.
“I want Beijing to know that [Western Australia] is open for business and that we are focused on growing business ties and investment in our state,” McGowan told reporters, adding that the China-Australia relationship is warming up.
“The only evidence I have [suggests] that the national relationship with China is improving and that the language is changing from the Australian end and therefore the partnership will be back on track shortly,” McGowan told reporters. “That’s a good thing and I want to make sure I do my bit to ensure that occurs.”
McGowan, who is in China for the second time as the premier of Western Australia, said that he has been attending “very high-level meetings” with Chinese officials and State-owned enterprises that have investments in his state to make sure that “on a political level, there is no misunderstanding and that a strong partnership continues.”
Other Australian officials, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, have also softened their tone on China. On Tuesday, Turnbull defended Australian airline Qantas’ decision to say that Taiwan is a part of China, breaking away from earlier criticism from cabinet members including the foreign and defense ministers.
“Our diplomatic relations are with China, and the People’s Republic of China, and our embassy is in Beijing,” Turnbull was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Policy adjustment required
But such half-hearted efforts from Australian officials to improve trade ties with China are insufficient, and Australia has to adjust its attitude toward China and take concrete measures to win back trust and confidence, a Chinese expert noted on Thursday.
“Australia is playing with two hands when it comes to China: On the one hand, it wants to increase trade and investment; on the other hand, it tries to exert political pressure. Obviously, that is not acceptable for China,” said Han Feng, professor and deputy directorgeneral of the National Institute of International Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Fearing their businesses with China could be jeopardized, several Australian winemakers on Wednesday called on Turnbull to visit China and resolve diplomatic tensions, Reuters reported.
Yu Lei, a research fellow at the Oceania Research Center of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong Province, noted that any attempt to undermine the bilateral relationship would ultimately hurt both countries’ interests, and any “short-sighted measures” should be avoided.
“There should be a long-term and stable view of bilateral relations rather than taking advantage of the relationship and not maintaining it,” Yu told the Global Times on Thursday.
Diplomatic relations between China and Australia have become tense in recent months, with the Australian government having taken an increasingly critical stance against China on various issues from the South China Sea to alleged Chinese political interference in Australia.
Pressure on Australian officials is intensifying, with exporters eager for the damage to trade ties with China to be repaired. But Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday in Beijing that there is “no relevant information” regarding a visit by the Australian prime minister.