Labor: Australia can’t cut ties with Beijing

Labor says Australia must engage with Beijing but stand up for its ‘democratic values’ while also ‘safeguarding our sovereignty’.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Picture: AFP

Labor has updated its approach to China in its new draft policy platform, saying that Australia must engage effectively with Beijing but stand up for its “democratic values” while also “safeguarding our sovereignty”.

In the draft platform, obtained by The Australian, Labor also says it is important to have a productive relationship, “even when there are differences or disagreements” — qualifications that were not ­included in the previous version.

“Labor believes that China is, and will continue to be, of great importance to Australia, to our ­region and to the world,” the draft document says.

“We must engage effectively with China while always standing up for our democratic values, ­including human rights, as well as advancing our national interests and safeguarding our sovereignty.”

Since former Labor leader Bill Shorten was defeated at the 2019 election, Australia’s relationship with Being has steadily deterior­ated, with China targeting beef and barley producers in an escalation of trade tensions, as well as ­detaining Australian-­Chinese TV news anchor Cheng Lei.

Scott Morrison has also taken a firm stance against foreign interference and cyber attacks, pushed for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus — in a move that has irritated Beijing — and ramped up defence spending.

The new draft platform states that Australians are living in a time of global change in which Labor’s approach “will be grounded in our belief in our country and our ­determination to safeguard its people, its values and its sovereignty”.

The platform has also reaffirmed Labor’s cautious approach to international trade deals, ­flagging future legislation to prohibit the commonwealth from signing agreements that waive ­labour market testing and which include investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions ­allowing foreign investors to sue governments.

It also proposes community, ­industry and union consultation on trade negotiations and draft texts, as well as a preliminary ­national interest assessment to be tabled in parliament as trade talks commence.

Labor would review, in government, the ISDS provisions in existing agreements and seek to expand the role of parliament in trade negotiations through the joint standing committee on treaties.

A full-time negotiating team would be set up within the ­Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade whose “sole job” would be to negotiate the removal of ISDS clauses.