Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian offers olive branch

Xiao Qian says the China-Australia relationship is at a ‘critical juncture, facing many difficulties and challenges, as well as enormous opportunities’.

Xiao Qian says ‘the Chinese side always believes that a sound and steady China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples’.

China’s new ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has extended an olive branch months out from the federal election and described his ambassadorship as a “noble mission”.

After arriving in Sydney on Australia Day, Mr Xiao said the China-Australia relationship was at a “critical juncture facing many difficulties and challenges as well as enormous opportunities and potentials”.

Mr Xiao, who follows the firebrand Cheng Jingye as China’s 15th ambassador to Australia, said he would work closely with government officials and business leaders to “jointly push the China-Australia relations back to the right track”.

“I see my ambassadorship as a noble mission and, more importantly, a great responsibility,” Mr Xiao said.

“I look forward to working with the Australian government and friends in all sectors to increase engagement and communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust, eliminate misunderstanding and suspicion, promote mutually beneficial exchanges and co-operation in all areas between the two sides.”

After spending the past four years as Xi Jinping’s top diplomat in Jakarta, Mr Xiao is not considered a proponent of the “wolf warrior diplomacy” that dominated Mr Cheng’s tenure in Canberra. In recent years, Beijing has targeted Australia with economic coercion and slapped trade bans on local exports including coal, barley, beef, wine, seafood and timber.

Under Mr Cheng’s leadership, the Chinese embassy issued an ­extraordinary list of 14 grievances with Australia that were ­purportedly “poisoning bilateral relations”.

The list of grievances triggered an Australian government freeze on the Chinese embassy.

Diplomatic sources told The Australian in November that Mr Xiao was well-regarded by international counterparts and his appointment might signal a “more sophisticated approach” by Beijing in its engagement with Australia. While he is considered a tough and smart negotiator, Mr Xiao has been a strong promoter of Beijing’s talking points.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Morrison government “welcomes the new Chinese ­ambassador-designate to Australia and looks forward to ­engaging with him”.

In a written statement released on Wednesday night after he was greeted at Sydney International Airport by a delegation including outspoken deputy ambassador Wang Xining, consul-general Zhou Limin and Chinese community representatives, Mr Xiao said the world was “undergoing profound changes unseen in a century”.

“The Chinese side always believes that a sound, steady China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, and contributes to the prosperity and stability of the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

“As long as both sides adhere to the principles of mutual respect, equality, inclusiveness and mutual learning and firmly grasp the right direction of the development, the China-Australia relations will keep moving forward and make further progress.”

The 57-year-old career diplomat, who will present his credentials to Governor-General David Hurley in coming weeks, has previously worked in Ethiopia, India, the US, The Philippines, Hungary and Indonesia.

Mr Xiao, who is married with one daughter, spent two years as Beijing’s deputy representative on Korean peninsular affairs.

With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Australia diplomatic relations – forged by former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam – Mr Xiao said the “friendly and mutually beneficial co-operation between China and Australia has enhanced the wellbeing of the two peoples”.

“Fifty years ago, the older generation of Chinese and Australian leaders promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations with the foresight and pioneering spirit of statesmanship,” he said.

“Since the door of communication and exchanges was opened, we have witnessed frequent exchanges and fruitful cooperation outcomes in various fields.”

Chinese officials have repeatedly attacked the Morrison government in recent years over its positions on Taiwan, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Huawei, cyber attacks and foreign interference.

Mr Xiao’s arrival months out from a federal election comes as Anthony Albanese on Tuesday softened Labor’s approach to repairing relations with Beijing.

The Opposition Leader said if Labor wins the election, he would attempt to balance Australia’s human rights concerns with economic prosperity: “One of the things I would hope for … is that you can have an Australian policy that would be exactly the same on the Uighurs, on Hong Kong, on Taiwan, on the South China Sea, on human rights, but still have an economic relationship that the Howard government had and that is important in the region.”