China and the United States urged to resume climate talks

China and the US have been told to pick up the phone and resume talking about a major issue.

Australia is hoping China and the US can put tensions over Taiwan to one side and recommence climate talks.

Beijing retaliated to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei by suspending talks as part of a slate of measures designed to push back against Washington, including firing 11 ballistic missiles over and near the self-ruled island.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said it would be beneficial for the two nations, who contribute the most to global emissions, to resume talks.

“In all the tensions between China and the United States, the one thing that’s been ring-fenced up until now has been climate discussions,” he told ABC’s Insiders.

Chris Bowen wants the US and China to resume talks. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“I do hope those talks are resumed and that suspension is lifted because that is a blow. And it would be better if those talks resumed.”

China’s decision to cut communication with the US is a major setback in addressing climate change.

Earlier, acting prime minister Richard Marles reiterated his call for calm saying the world would “breathe a sigh of relief” if tensions de-escalated.

“What we obviously want to see is a return to normal peaceful behaviour around the Taiwan Strait … we have got to get back to that normal peaceful set of behaviours,” Mr Marles said.

After five years in the diplomatic deep freeze, there had been hope that Labor’s election could see relations between Canberra and Beijing thaw.

Mr Marles said he wants to see a return to the status quo. NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

But Mr Marles said that didn’t mean the government wasn’t going to stop speaking out on issues of regional stability.

“We acknowledge that there are going to be challenges in the relationship with China,” he told Sky News on Sunday.

“What we have sought to do is really change the tone in the way in which we are engaging with the world but that includes the way in which we engage with China. We’re not going about things with chest beating.

“We did want to save the relationship and in a better place, but we‘ll continue to articulate our national interest.”

Xiao Qian issued a chilling warning to reporters last Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, last week said there would be “no compromise” on Taiwan, urging the new government to tread with caution.

Australia’s commitment to the One China policy is bipartisan but opposition leader Peter Dutton on Friday warned we should not make the same mistakes with China as Europe did with Russia.

“There’s no sense in a couple of months or a couple of years‘ time saying Chinese have gone into Taiwan, we didn’t see this coming,” Mr Dutton said on Friday.

“We’re right in shining a huge spotlight on the behaviour, calling it out … If we do that, that gives us the best chance of keeping peace in our region.

Originally published as China and the United States urged to resume climate talks