Anthony Albanese rejects China’s ‘preconditions’ for restoring relations

Anthony Albanese has said Australia will not accept a set of new demands from Beijing framed as preconditions for the restoration of good bilateral relations with Canberra.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: Getty Images

Anthony Albanese has said Australia will not accept a set of new demands from Beijing framed as preconditions for the restoration of good bilateral relations with Canberra.

The rejection by the Prime Minister of the new four-point list of actions outlined by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came as the Coalition hit back at assertions from Beijing that the deterioration of the relationship was the fault of the former Morrison government. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the claim was a “rewriting of history” and it was “widely acknowledged” it was China that had changed and forced Australia to respond by protecting its critical infrastructure.

The comments followed a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 last week between Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Mr Wang, who said the Coalition’s approach to Beijing was to blame for the state of the relationship. “The root cause of the difficulties in Chinese and Australian relations in recent years lies in the insistence of previous Australian governments to treat China as an opponent and even a threat,” he said.

Former Liberal defence minister Linda Reynolds said the assertion was ridiculous. “We clearly identified a threat to our nation’s sovereignty and to the global rules-based order.

“The Morrison government stood firm on both principles, domestically and internationally,” she told The Australian.

“It was not Australia’s behaviour that changed, and many other nations are now also calling it out.

“Any claim the deterioration of the Australia-China bilateral relationship was the fault of the Morrison government is not only deeply disingenuous, it is also against our national interest.”

Senator Birmingham said Australia had “always” been willing to engage with China, and it was disappointing that China had breached the spirit of deals like the free-trade agreement in slapping sanctions on Australian produce.

Labor will continue with the disputes lodged with the World Trade Organisation by the ­Coalition over the tariffs on wine and barley, with Beijing refusing to talk with Trade Minister Don Farrell at the WTO meeting in June. Following his meeting with Senator Wong on Friday, Mr Wang said China was willing to “re-examine and recalibrate” the bilateral relationship “based on mutual respect”.

A summary of the meeting provided by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said there were four requirements for Australia to improve the relationship.

First, Australia would need to treat China as a “partner rather than a rival”. Second, the two countries must seek “common ground while shelving differences”. Third, Australia must reject “manipulation by a third party”. Fourth, both nations must “build public support featuring positiveness and pragmatism”.

Mr Albanese was clear Australia would not change its behaviour. “Australia doesn’t respond to demands,” he said in Canberra.

“We respond to our own ­national interest.”

Mr Albanese said Australia would “co-operate with China where we can … I want to build good relations with all countries but we will stand up for Australia’s interests when we must.”

Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts said Australia would continue to be “calm and consistent” in making the case to China on issues of national concern, including detainment of Australian citizens Cheng Lei and Yang Henjun.

Mr Watts said despite China agreeing to meet with Australian counterparts for the first time in three years, stabilising the relationship “would take some time … No‑one’s saying there’s going to be a quick fix,” he said on Sky.