Tag: China-Australia Relations

Little Value in a ‘Diplomatic Thaw’ With Beijing: Foreign Policy Experts

Foreign policy experts say a diplomatic thaw with Beijing should not be the end goal of U.S. and Australian leaders, instead, the focus should be on compelling the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to uphold human rights and international rules around trade. John Lee, the former senior advisor to Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, said recent…


China’s Diplomatic Thaw Doesn’t Bring Relief From Economic Coercion: Australian PM

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned the country’s exporters that it may take a long time before China removes its $20 billion (US$13.5 billion) trade sanctions on Australia. The warning comes after the Albanese met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Nov. 15 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Speaking at…


Beijing’s Diplomatic Thaw Doesn’t Bring Relief From Economic Coercion: Australian PM

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned the country’s exporters that it may take a long time before China removes its $20 billion (US$13.5 billion) trade sanctions on Australia. The warning comes after the Albanese met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Nov. 15 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Speaking at…


Australia Can No Longer Rely on the US as a Our ‘Security Guarantor’: Defence Minister

Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned that the situation in the Indo-Pacific has become “far too precarious” to depend on the United States as Australia’s security guarantor. Australia’s alliance with the United States has been central to the country’s view of the world and national security since World War II. However, in a keynote address…


Australia, China Leaders to Meet on the Sidelines of the G20

Leaders from Australia and China have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, suggesting a thawing in diplomatic relations. This will be the first time in over two years that leaders have met after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took issue with the Australian Morrison government calling for an…


Australian Spy Agency Pivots Focus To China Threat

In a rare public speech, the director-general of Australia’s foreign intelligence service, ASIS, has admitted that his agency has pivoted its primary focus away from terrorism and people smuggling and is now focusing on the growing threat from China. Speaking at the Australian National University National Security College, the Director-General of ASIS, Paul Symon, said…


‘Dangerous’: Expert Pans Move to Donate Guns, Armoured Vehicles to Pro-Beijing Solomons Leader

The Australian Labor government’s decision to gift weapons and armoured vehicles to the Solomons government has been branded “ill-conceived and dangerous” by Pacific expert Cleo Paskal, saying the move is pushing the country one step closer towards civil war. On Nov. 2, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) delivered training and around $1.3 million (US$740,000) worth…


Beijing’s Overseas Police Station in Sydney ‘Not Active’: Australian Federal Police

Australian Federal Police (AFP) has said that it doesn’t believe Chinese police are running an active “contact point” in Sydney. It was revealed last month that Chinese officials have been operating an overseas police station in Sydney since 2018. The “contact point” was established by the Public Security Bureau of the city of Wenzhou, China, the…


Australian PM Says No Preconditions on Possible Diplomatic Talks With Beijing

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there will be no preconditions for a meeting with Chinese officials while noting ongoing problems with Beijing’s trade sanctions against Australian goods. Speaking at a press conference in Sydney on Oct. 11, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia welcomed any exchange with China. “What I’ve said about China is that…


Australian Prime Minister Open to Dialogue With Chinese Leaders

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that he would be open to a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the next nine days as leaders from around the world gather for a range of international summits in Asia, including the B20, G20, APEC, ASEAN-Australia, and East Asia Summit. Speaking at a press conference…