The events and their impact on China-Australia diplomacy, in what clearly remains a hugely important strategic relationship to both China and to Australia, are not without their parallels in dealings between China and other countries like Canada or Japan, to take just two examples. There is little evidence that the diplomatic chill is yet affecting both countries cooperation across a range of important areas, from development of the energy and resource trade relationship to the global financial crisis. But left to drift there is no doubt that what appear to be costs at the margin could turn into a structural malaise, damaging not only the bilateral relationship but both countries’ strategic interests in regional and global affairs. There is some evidence that there is now positioning in Beijing and Canberra to restore the intimacy of the relationship that is a product of initiatives by the Australian and Chinese leaderships over many years. This is a time for initiative and leadership in the relationship that draws upon national capacities and does not shirk the hard task of building the dialogues and an infrastructure for economic and political dealings that address the difficulties actively but with the appropriate measure of respect and trust. These are priorities in Australia’s relationship with China that are relevant more broadly and, hopefully, the way in which we address them may become a model, lessons from which are of use to others.
In Brief
Developments in Australia’s relations with China over the last few months or so have been less than sure-footed, though to some they might have been predictable. There have been missteps on both sides. Events like the commercial failure of the Chinalco deal, the arrest of Stern Hu (Rio Tinto’s iron ore price negotiator), Australian responses to the June 4 anniversary and to the Urumqi killings, Chinese reactions to the Melbourne film festival and the granting of a visa to Rebiya Kadeer to attend it were bound to disturb sensibilities in the relationship. The extent to which they have knocked it off course is a matter of debate. But there is no question that these events have been a cause for public and official reflection in both China and Australia. There is also no question that they have, for the moment, cooled Chinese diplomatic warmth towards Australia. Stephen FitzGerald, respected China scholar and Australia’s first Ambassador to China after the Whitlam Government established diplomatic relations with the PRC in 1972, sets out his clear view of how this came to pass and what might be done about it.