Blame Australia for discord, says Beijing
China has laid the blame back on Australia for the deteriorating relationship between the two countries, dismissing the concerns of the United States’ IndoPacific chief ahead of the first meeting between the two superpowers in Alaska.
Responding to comments by US President Joe Biden’s top aide in the region, Kurt Campbell, China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it was not responsible for the breakdown in communication between the two countries after more than a year of trade strikes on A$20 billion worth of exports.
‘‘The root cause of the current difficulties in bilateral relations is Australia’s wrong words and deeds on issues concerning China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, which have undermined the foundation of mutual trust and co-operation between the two countries,’’ said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. ‘‘The Australian side knows the ins and outs better than anyone else.’’
The comments are an early sign that Beijing will attempt to separate the dispute with Australia
from the foreign affairs and national security dialogue with the US in Anchorage, starting tomorrow.
Campbell said yesterday the Biden administration would make it clear to Beijing that the US was not prepared to improve bilateral relations with China ‘‘at the same time that a close and dear ally is being subjected to a form of economic coercion’’.
The world’s two largest economies have faced their own period of heightened geopolitical turbulence after the Trump administration accused China of intellectual property theft, imposed tariffs on more than US$360b worth of Chinese goods, made unsubstantiated claims of China spreading the coronavirus from a Wuhan laboratory, and condemned human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
Australia’s relationship with Beijing has deteriorated since 2018, after the government blocked telecommunications provider Huawei from the country’s 5G network over national security concerns. That decision – along with foreign interference legislation, restrictions on multibillion-dollar business deals, independent media criticism of China’s policies, and funding for think-tank research – features prominently on a list of 14 grievances delivered by the Chinese embassy to the media in November.
Campbell’s comments came after the first Quad leader-level discussions between the US, India, Japan and Australia, and as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Minister Lloyd Austin make their first overseas trip to the region.