China appears to have offered Australia an olive branch following the election of Anthony Albanese, but the new Prime Minister is already talking tough with Beijing.
An editorial in the state media mouthpiece, Global timesdescribed the election result as “a turning point” and reminded readers that relations with Australia have been “mutually beneficial” for 50 years.
He went on to claim that Scott Morrison’s Australian government “severely damaged (the relationship) in just a couple of years, which is unfortunate.”
He said Australia had taken a “tough stance against China” in recent years but appeared to present itself as “a good partner” in tackling climate change and “economic prosperity”.
The Global Times has published a series of articles in recent years mocking, threatening and angering Australia’s trade and diplomatic ties with the United States, and attacking Mr Morrison, including labeling him a “clown” in February.
The brief ceasefire in the ongoing war of words between Australia and China appeared to end quickly as Anthony Albanese spoke harshly before leaving for a meeting with Joe Biden in Japan.
An editorial by state media mouthpiece Global Times described the election result as “a turning point” and reminded its readers that relations with Australia had been “mutually beneficial” for 50 years.
Albanese met with Joe Biden on Tuesday to discuss economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The official Xinhua news agency reported that Premier Li Keqiang had “called” Mr Albanese to congratulate him on his election victory. This was denied by the prime minister’s office.
Li spoke to Scott Morrison in 2018. Morrison spoke to China’s Supreme Leader Xi Jinping in June 2019.
The brief ceasefire in the ongoing war of words between Australia and China appeared to end quickly as Albanese spoke harshly before leaving to meet Joe Biden at a Quad partnership meeting in Japan.
“The relationship with China will continue to be difficult,” Albanese said before flying to Tokyo.
‘I said that before the elections. That has not changed. “It is China that has changed.”
Albanese met Biden on Tuesday in Tokyo, committing Australia to a Pacific economic partnership with the United States.
Albanese, along with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, arrives at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, ahead of the Quad Leaders Summit between the United States, Japan, India and Australia.
The Quad partnership is a strategic information alliance between the US, Australia, Japan and India.
The Global Times said Albanese’s rise to the top job “provides a turning point for the China-Australia relationship, which is currently at a low point.”
‘We hope that the new Australian government can return the bilateral relationship to the right track.
“There are no territorial disputes or historical grievances between the two countries,” he said.
This is despite anger over China signing a deal with the Solomon Islands in April that could include a Chinese naval base less than 2,000 kilometers from the Australian mainland.
Maintaining regional alliances will be one of the main objectives of the newly sworn in Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong.
There is also further speculation that China is seeking similar deals with other Pacific nations, including Kiribati.
The Global Times did not allude to these events in its latest editorial.
“For most of the last 50 years of their diplomatic relations, neither ideological differences nor geopolitical disputes have affected the normal and mutually beneficial exchanges between the two countries.”
There was shock and anger over China’s signing in April of an agreement with the Solomon Islands that could include a Chinese naval base less than 2,000 kilometers from the Australian mainland (pictured Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, second from left, with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, second from right, in Beijing in 2019)
Maintaining regional alliances will be one of the main objectives of the newly sworn in Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong.
He correctly stated that China was Australia’s largest trading partner.
But he said due to the “suppression” of Chinese companies and products, the Australian economy was suffering “deplorable consequences”.
‘The Australian side has increasingly gone down the path of politicizing trade and investment issues, often suppressing Chinese companies under the excuse of ‘national security’.
“So far, Australia has launched hundreds of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations against Chinese products, while China has only brought a few cases against Australian products.”
The Global Times regularly publishes inflammatory cartoons against Australia and its latest work was a sleeping kangaroo washed up by a US ship.
A former Australian diplomat writing for a Chinese government-controlled news agency attacked Scott Morrison as “a clown” and said Anthony Albanese “shines” in comparison (pictured, Prime Minister Morrison at a ministers’ meeting of Foreign Affairs of Australia, the United States, India and Japan). in February 2022)
He also claimed that New Zealand, which he said has a “similar political system” to China, had warned Australia about its stances towards China.
“Even Australia’s neighbor New Zealand, of which China is also its largest trading partner, has advised the Australian government to show due respect to China.”
The example the Global Times gave of a better era in Australia-China relations was John Howard’s era of “balanced diplomacy”, which it described as “a pleasing episode in Australia’s diplomatic history”.