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The comment was made in a conversation with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at a private event that took place on December 19, but was published by the Australian press on December 31. Wang said China does not want the two countries’ relations to deteriorate and said Australia is the one that needs to make a decision. According to Mr. Vuong, Australia and China can return as partners, not enemies.
Just days earlier, Australia asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to investigate China’s taxes on Australian barley in May, marking an official escalation in the trade conflict. Australia’s $ 20 billion trade with China, as not only Australian barley, but also Australian timber, wine, lobster and charcoal are taxed by Beijing.
In late November, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison once expressed his intention to reconcile with China when he appeared at an event in the United Kingdom. Specifically, Morrison said he was “happy to discuss” the list of 14 complaints that Chinese officials announced to the newspaper. The Sydney Morning Herald and Age.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: AP
However, relations continued to deteriorate after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien posted a fake photo of an Australian soldier holding a knife to the neck of an Afghan baby. In his conversation with Mr. Rudd, Mr. Vuong did not mention this photo or a list of 14 complaints.
Mr. Rudd asked Mr. Wang: “Can we take any practical solution to reestablish the Australia-China relationship? And is there any informal foreign policy that can be carried out. Right now on both sides to get rid of hostility and return to normal diplomacy?
In response, China’s foreign minister said Australia needed to decide whether China was a threat or a partner. However, Mr. Vuong has a more conciliatory tone than Mr. Trieu. “If Australia sees China as a threat, it will be difficult to improve relations. Otherwise, we will have many opportunities to find solutions to problems. So the decision is on the Australian side.” – said Mr. Vuong.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, a spokesperson for the Australian Foreign Minister, declined to comment directly on Wang’s comments, but quoted Ms Payne as saying, “We will never negotiate the interests of the country. And it is a respectful approach in relations with China, as well as in any bilateral relationship. “
Rory Medcalf, director of the Australian National University School of National Security, cautioned that Wang’s comments “should not be understood as a positive sign.” “Of course, it is good to get signals to some extent that China also wants a stable relationship, but the bottom line is that Mr. Wang still takes full responsibility for Australia,” Medcalf admitted. concentration.
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