China, Australia see ‘positive changes’ in bilateral relations

The bilateral relations between China and Australia have seen “positive changes” in the recent past, the top diplomats from the two countries viewed during a phone call on Tuesday.

This comes ahead of the G20 summit in Indonesia later this month where President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will come face to face.

A readout from China’s Foreign Ministry said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia and China have “maintained effective communication and contact.”

It was their third call in the past five months.

“Through unremitting efforts, the relations between the two countries have seen positive changes,” the readout quoting Wong said, adding that Canberra asserted its “one-China policy” to “develop a more stable and mutually beneficial relationship with China on the basis of mutual respect.”

Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat said, the “common interests” of China and Australia “far outweigh the differences.”

The bilateral relations between Beijing and Canberra nosedived under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison as Australia joined western allies seeking a probe into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic besides launching a trilateral nuclear cooperation with the UK and the US, known as AUKUS.

Australia also joined the so-called Quad, led by Washington, which includes Japan and India as well. It is a loose security alliance aimed to counter China’s expanding military and economic influence in the wider Asia-Pacific region.

“The relaxation and improvement of China-Australia relations conform to the fundamental interests of both sides, as well as the common expectations of the two peoples and the international community,” Wang said.

Beijing imposed trade restrictions on Australian exports throughout last year and during 2020. The bilateral trade volume between the two countries is around $160 billion.

“The two sides should continue to adhere to the consensus on the basic orientation of a comprehensive strategic partnership, uphold the spirit of mutual respect, seek common ground while reserving differences, and work towards the goal of mutual benefit and win-win results, so as to promote the rebuilding of mutual trust between the two countries and bring bilateral relations back on track,” he added.

Wong said Canberra has “no intention of magnifying the existing differences, and is willing to properly handle specific issues in a responsible manner within the framework of the Australia-China comprehensive strategic partnership.”

Whether Xi and Albanese hold a summit-level meeting in Bali later this month on the sidelines of the G20 summit remains to be seen.

The last time, it was in 2017 when Xi met former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Germany on the sidelines of a G20 summit.