China’s Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian, stated on January 24, 2024, that China’s activities in the Pacific region should not be a cause for concern for Australia. Speaking at the first press conference in Canberra for the year, Xiao used the following expressions:[i]
“The Pacific island countries are an area where China and Australia can collaborate and contribute together, instead of forcing them to choose between the two countries, they should be assisted, as China does, in terms of social stability, economic development, and bilateral trade relations.”
In recent years, Australia’s efforts to take a stance against China have been notable. The reason for this is Canberra’s alignment with the Western axis. Australia’s close collaboration with the West can be observed through its participation in ANZUS, established in 1951 in partnership with the United States and New Zealand, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) initiated in 2017 with the United States, Japan, and India, and the formation of AUKUS in 2021 in partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States. This gives Australia a strong Western identity. Consequently, Canberra engages in competition with Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region and fundamentally adopts the Western framework established mainly by the United States. This positions Australia as a significant player for the United States and the Western Bloc.
On the other hand, Australia has strong trade ties with China. This situation may imply Canberra’s intention not only to keep its competition with China within the framework of competition but also not to turn this competition into a hot conflict or military rivalry. However, as mentioned above, all the collaborations in which Australia is involved in the Asia-Pacific region are based on Washington-centric military-security partnerships. This reflects the complex situation observed in Canberra-Beijing relations.
Xiao has also expressed that there should be no concern for Australia regarding China’s activities and influence in the Asia-Pacific. Xiao stated, “We are not seeking strategies based on military power and military purposes. Australia does not need to feel any concerns.” Furthermore, while referring to Nauru officially recognizing China on January 23, 2024, Xiao mentioned that this decision is a sovereign choice of Nauru and will not affect Australia’s relations with this small island country. Xiao said, “The relationship between China and Nauru is a reflection of the consensus in the world that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China.”[ii]
In Beijing-Canberra relations, especially the ‘economic pillar’ is intended to be emphasized. This is because Australia is involved in military cooperation with the West in the Asia-Pacific. However, efforts to reduce the intensity of competition with China are also known to stem from Canberra’s relationship with Beijing. In such a situation, Beijing highlighting economically-based relations, separated from the security context, becomes a noteworthy point. This emphasizes China’s efforts to build trust in its relations with Australia.
Speaking about bilateral relations, Xiao mentioned that the relationship stabilized after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Beijing in November 2023, and a series of trade barriers imposed on Australian exports in 2020 were lifted.
Xiao, expressing China’s desire to further improve the relationship and maintain the ‘positive momentum,’ also emphasized the need for cooperation in the defense sector:[iii]
“The defense relationship between two countries is indeed an area where we need to put in more effort and work more closely. This is a crucial sector in terms of mutual trust and reliability between the two nations and peoples. If you can establish trust between the military efforts of both countries, you achieve real confidence.”
The Chinese Ambassador stated that their country’s activities in the region are not military in nature and should not cause concerns. At this point, China’s engagement in the region is primarily focused on economic and trade cooperation. Claims that China’s presence in the South Pacific aims at economic development and social stability are significant. Indeed, these can be interpreted as Beijing’s efforts to avoid provocation and polarization in the region or as a mindset it has adopted for these reasons.
Developments such as Albanese’s visit to Beijing and the removal of trade barriers in 2020 have contributed to stabilizing relations. This can be considered as a strategy to reduce tensions between the two countries through regional cooperation and diplomatic efforts. The call for cooperation by China in the defense sector with Australia is also noteworthy. It has been emphasized that building mutual trust between the two countries is of critical importance. The situation in question indicates Beijing’s intention for higher cooperation in regional security and stability points.
[i] “Top Chinese Diplomat Says Support of Pacific Nations with Policing Should not Alarm Australia”, Associated Press News, https://apnews.com/article/australia-china-taiwan-43d09b05519fc7406637ffd6b17b5ffb, (Erişim Tarihi: 25.01.2024).
[ii] Ibıd.
[iii] Ibıd.
