Federal Budget 2021: Australia’s plan to improve ties with China
Australia will seek to broker “constructive engagement” with China — but it may need a little help from Joe Biden.
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Australian diplomats will seek to broker “constructive engagement” with China as part of a renewed effort to improve relations with the giant trading partner.
But it may need a little help from its friends like United States President Joe Biden.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has detailed how in the coming financial year it would work to “shape a regional order that benefits all countries regardless of their size and geography” in the region which remained in a time of “challenge”.
It was in Australia’s interest to have an open and inclusive region working within a framework of agreed rules and norms and to this end would promote security and a fair rules-based market for goods and services.
To this end it has spelt out it would specifically work with the Biden administration to work more closely with Allies including the Quad pact between Australia, the US, Japan and India “to become an even more prominent pillar of our international agenda”.
Strengthening Australia’s alliance with the US now that Biden was in the White House would include “deepening co-operation on a range of regional challenges”.
“We will also continue to reinforce our ties with key partners such as Japan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea while seeking constructive engagement with China which is mutually beneficial and consistent with our national sovereign interests,” DFAT has stated in its budget-based strategic direction statement. It was among the only real reference to China despite that nation dominating headlines and federal government foreign agenda for the past two years.
Originally published as Federal Budget 2021: Australia’s plan to improve ties with China
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