In a lengthy new year press conference at the Chinese embassy in Canberra,ambassador Xiao Qian challenged Australia to go beyond simply stabilising relations with China,urging the federal government to restart joint military exercises and collaboration with China on science and technology.
Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian.Mick Tsikas
Xiao explicitly and insisted Beijing was not seeking to interfere with Australia’s relationship with Nauru on its offshore processing facility on the island.
“To be honest,we have no interest in getting involved in those things,” he said on Wednesday.
Taiwan’s top diplomat in Australia Douglas Hsu hit back on Wednesday afternoon,accusing Beijing of “relentless efforts to undermine democracy and isolate Taiwan”.
“The timing of Nauru’s decision is not only part of China’s reaction against Taiwan’s democratic election result,but also a direct challenge to the international order,” Hsu said in an interview.
“Nauru has been lured by China’s enticements and disregarded Taiwan’s long-term assistance and friendship.”
Xiao also denied Australian claims that,instead suggesting Australia should investigate whether Japan was responsible for the incident given it had a warship nearby.
Hsu accused Xiao of “trying to divide allies” by suggesting Japan was behind the sonar attack.
The Japanese embassy in Canberra was contacted for comment.
Xiao said officials in Beijing had assured him the Australian divers would have died - or suffered catastrophic injuries - if China were behind the incident,which took place in international waters off Japan.
Zhang Hua,a senior official at the Chinese embassy in Canberra,added:“We[call on] relevant parties to stop making troubles in front of China’s doorsteps and to work with the Chinese side to preserve the momentum of improving and growing China-Australia ties.”
Xiao said the federal government had invited both Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit Australia this year,following,but China had not decided who would come.
The ambassador said Australia and China should prioritise closer defence ties this year,saying this was an area where there was “not real trust” in the bilateral relationship.
Labor has deliberately described its approach to China relations as one of stabilisation,rather than normalisation or repair,in a recognition that bilateral ties would not be as close as they were a decade ago.
Xiao offered little hope to supporters of the that he would be freed from jail like journalist Cheng Lei was last year,insisting their cases were “different in nature”. Yang’s supporters said last year that he was and die in a Chinese prison.
“To be honest,I cannot expect that the case would come to such a conclusion,” Xiao said,while downplaying concerns about Yang’s medical condition.
Xiao said he was seeking a meeting with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) within days to express his displeasure at a statement issued by the department congratulating pro-Taiwanese sovereignty leader Lai Ching-te on his victory in the island’s presidential elections.
Stressing that the status of Taiwan was a “very sensitive” one for China,Xiao said:“We have made our serious representations that we are strongly opposed to such a statement,a statement by a government on China’s provincial elections.”
Beijing regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory,but the island of 24 million people is self-governing and has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.
Drawing a line under the issue,Xiao said:“On the question of Taiwan there is no room at all for us to show flexibility or to make compromise because it involves China’s sovereignty and political integrity.”
Hsu,Taiwan’s representative in Canberra,accused Xiao of trying to strongarm Australia into distancing itself from Taipei.
“We deplore attempts by any country to bully another,” he said. “Australia has been a steadfast friend for a great many years. I don’t believe there’s any contradiction between having good relations with Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China simultaneously.”
Hsu urged Australia to back Taiwan’s campaign to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership,a giant trade bloc that is also being pursued by China.
“I see genuine momentum in the Australian government,” he said.
Asked about Australia’s relationship with China at a press conference in Tasmania on Wednesday afternoon,Albanese said:“I haven’t seen the ambassador’s comments,but I stand by the comments that were made at the time.
“We made strong representations to China about this[the naval sonar] incident. And we stand by the representations that we’ve made.”
Xiao said he had “no idea” about exactly when Australian wine exporters could expect to regain access to Chinese markets after celebrating the removal of restrictions on Australian barley,timber and hay last year.
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