China warns on ‘NATO for Asia’

One of China’s top diplomats in Australia has issued a veiled warning over growing strategic ties ­between Quad nations.

China’s consul-general in Brisbane Ruan Zongze. Picture: Supplied

One of China’s top diplomats in Australia has issued a veiled warning over growing strategic ties ­between Quad nations, saying any attempt to form an Asia-Pacific NATO will “stoke divisions, stir up conflicts and severely harm the peace and prosperity”.

Writing in The Australian just a day after Australia and the US announced closer military ties with Japan, China’s consul-general in Brisbane Ruan Zongze says NATO is the “conflict creator” in Ukraine, and offers a “profound lesson” for the Asia-Pacific.

“We will see an endless flow of disastrous aftermath if anyone tries to implant the NATO model in the Asia-Pacific region,” Dr Ruan says. He says the Asia-Pacific can ensure peace by building “an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future”.

The Quad nations – Australia, the US, Japan and India – have emphasised the grouping is not a military alliance. But Australia, the US and Japan are strengthening defence co-operation, with an invitation to Tokyo on Wednesday to join regular US military ­deployments in Australia.

Weeks after Anthony ­Albanese and Xi Jinping met in Bali vowing to stabilise ties, Dr Ruan says China wants to co-­operate with Australia on green, digital economy and regional ­development projects. He also urges Australia to back China’s bid to join one of the world’s biggest trade-free blocs, the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, declaring the agreement will “promote Chinese ­modernisation”.

“This will surely boost the China-Australia relationship and regional development and growth,” Dr Ruan writes.

The article continues the Chinese charm offensive of recent months without offering concessions or addressing concerns over its threats to regional order. There is no mention of China’s $20bn-a-year worth of trade sanctions against Australian products or of the fate of detained Australians Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun.

Using China’s trademark diplomatic language, Dr Ruan says China “sees huge potential” for “win-win outcomes” in pursuing joint projects with Australia in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

“The ‘China-Australia-plus’ co-operation model may be the solution to expand opportunities of shared development, (and) cope with climate change in the Asia-Pacific region,” he writes.

But there is little appetite in Australia for such co-operation under current circumstances, or for China’s CPTPP bid.

In annual AUSMIN talks in Washington on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles discussed Chinese security threats with their US counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. Mr Austin said China’s behaviour undermined the vision of Australia and the US for a region free from coercion.

“China’s dangerous and coercive actions throughout the Indo-Pacific, including around Taiwan, and toward the Pacific Island countries and in the East and South China seas threaten regional peace and stability,” he said.

Dr Ruan’s article comes amid a trip by six Australian MPs to Taiwan, including shadow cabinet minister Barnaby Joyce, two Labor backbenchers, one Liberal and two LNP members.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned the MPs to tread carefully. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” a spokeswoman said. “The Australian side should earnestly adhere to the one-China principle, stop all forms of official interaction with the Taiwan ­region and stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan-independence separatist forces.”