O’Connor suggests diplomacy for China
WELLINGTON: Minister for Trade Damien O’Connor has suggested Australia speak with ‘‘more diplomacy’’ about China, so it too can have a ‘‘mature’’ relationship.
He made the comments in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia programme about the offer from New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta last December to broker a truce between China and Australia.
At the time, Ms Mahuta said ‘‘both parties will have to be willing to come together and concede in some areas where they are currently not seeing eye to eye’’.
Mr O’Connor yesterday spoke with his Australian counterpart, Dan Tehan, ‘‘to reiterate, as I said in the interview, that we do not speak for Australia on this or any other matter’’.
He told CNBC that New Zealand had a ‘‘mature relationship with China and we’ve always been able to raise issues of concern’’.
‘‘I can’t speak for Australia and the way it runs its diplomatic relationships, but clearly if they were to follow us and show respect, I guess a little more diplomacy from time to time and be cautious with wording, then they too could hopefully be in a similar situation,’’ he said.
Mr O’Connor said ‘‘nationalism is not the way forward’’ and New Zealand hoped to ‘‘build multilateral trade and diplomatic relationships across the world and play our part’’.
Relations between Australia and China hit a historic low last year, after China imposed a range of tariffs on Australian exports, and then lashed out over a damning war crimes report.
A Chinese foreign affairs spokesman had posted a fake image of an Australian soldier murdering a child, prompting outrage from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
New Zealand weighed in, formally registering its concern with Chinese authorities about the use of an ‘‘unfactual post’’.
Again China hit back, questioning what business it was of New Zealand’s and suggesting its stance showed it supported the actions of the Australian soldiers, accused of at least 39 unlawful killings in Afghanistan.
Mr O’Connor was unavailable for an interview with RNZ yesterday, but in a statement said ‘‘the AustraliaChina relationship will always be a matter for China and Australia’’.
‘‘New Zealand has an independent foreign policy, which allows us to maintain both our closest partnership with Australia and a mature relationship with China.’’
National Party foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee said the comments were not helpful. — RNZ