AUSTRALIA – FOREIGN RELATIONS – CHINA

PM breaks ice with China

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Original article by Ben Packham, Amanda Hodge
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Nov-22

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese briefly spoke with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the East Asia Summit’s gala dinner on Saturday night. It was the first face-to-face meeting between leaders of the two nations in three years, and Albanese says the four-minute conversation focused on the upcoming 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and China. Albanese also had an unscheduled 40-minute meeting with US President Joe Biden on the final day of the summit on Sunday; they discussed issues such as the AUKUS alliance and climate change, and Albanese invited Biden to address a joint sitting of parliament in 2023 when he visits Australia for a meeting of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue nations. Albanese hopes to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, EAST ASIA SUMMIT, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

China feud helps push Australia down to 27th in peace index

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Original article by Latika Burke
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 17-Jun-22

Global peace has deteriorated for the third consecutive year in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it has now fallen 11 times in the last 14 years. This is according to the latest Global Peace Index, which is compiled by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace. Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and its combative relationship with China saw the nation fall nine places to 27th. Meanwhile, terrorism is at its lowest level globally in the 16-year history of the Index.

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INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND PEACE LIMITED

China accuses Australia of violent interference in Five Eyes response to Hong Kong election

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Original article by Daniel Hurst, Vincent Ni
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 22-Dec-21

Australia’s relationship with major trading partner China have become further strained in the wake of the recent election in Hong Kong. Australia and other members of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance issued a joint statement expressing concern about the outcome of the election, which will result in Hong Kong’s new legislature being dominated by pro-Beijing candidates. China has responded by strongly condemning the joint statement; it has also accused Australia of "violently" interfering in China’s internal affairs, while noting that Australia has in turn been highly critical of other countries for alleged foreign interference.

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Records roll on China iron ore sales

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Jul-21

New figures show that Australia’s iron ore shipments to China rose by $1.1bn to $14.8bn in June, despite the ongoing trade tensions between the two countries. Australia exported some $17.6bn worth of the steel input during June, with China accounting for about 85 per cent of this total. The Australian Bureau of Statistics notes that the iron ore price rose by five per cent during the month. Meanwhile, Australia’s overall exports grew by $2.8bn in June, to $41.2bn; the nation’s goods trade surplus was steady at a record $13.2bn.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

China trade tension a risk to economy: BHP mining boss

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Original article by Emmaline Stigwood
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 21-May-21

China’s unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia has forced local producers to find alternative markets for metallurgical coal. BHP Minerals Australia president Edgar Basto notes that this has resulted in the price falling by up to 50 per cent; he says this is unsustainable and action to improve Australia’s relations with China will eventually be needed, given that China is a major market for coal used in steel-making. Basto says that both nations must take action to "rebuild trust".

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BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

China tensions threaten LNG, coal exports

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Weekend Australian – Page: 20 : 15-May-21

China has imposed an informal ban on Australian thermal coal since 2020, and consultancy Wood Mackenzie expects the ban to remain in place until 2022. There are now also suggestions that the ongoing tensions could see China pull back from agreeing to sign long-term LNG deals with Australia, which supplies 45 per cent of China’s LNG requirements. Woodside Petroleum advised in February that it had been forced to delay talks to sell LNG to China, citing the economic rift between the two nations.

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WOOD MACKENZIE, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL

Australia examines modern slavery laws amid concerns over products linked to Uyghur abuse

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 28-Apr-21

Australian Border Force official Vanessa Holben says the federal government will review the Modern Slavery Act in 2022. The legislation has been criticised over its lack of financial penalties for companies that fail to deal with the use of slave labour in their supply chains. Holben says the government is "deeply concerned" about reports of human rights abuses against the Uyghur people in China’s Xinjiang region. Independent senator Rex Patrick has proposed legislation to ban imports from Xinjiang and other parts of China that are produced by using forced labour. The bill is being scrutinised by a Senate committee.

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AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE

‘We must get real on a possible China war’: Dutton

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Original article by Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 4 : 26-Apr-21

Defence Minister Peter Dutton says Australia must continue to be a ‘good neighbour’ in the Asia-Pacific and work with its partners and allies to maintain peace in the region. He adds that China has made it clear that reunification with Taiwan is firmly on its agenda, and he has warned that war over Taiwan cannot be ruled out in the future. Dutton has also indicated that thousands of deals with foreign governments are being reviewed following the Coalition’s decision to terminate Victoria’s deal to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. They include the 2015 deal to lease the Port of Darwin to a Chinese company for 99 years.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

China talks only if no conditions

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Original article by Greg Brown, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 25-Jan-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is happy to meet with China’s leaders to discuss how the strained relationship between the two nations could be improved, as long as there are no conditions attached. The Chinese embassy released in 2020 a list of 14 grievances that China has with Australia; Morrison says that if they are to be the conditions then any meeting will be a long time coming. He says that the relationship between Australia and China has been changing for some years, "not over any one thing but over time". Morrison says he is confident new US president Joe Biden will support Australia in its handling of the China relationship.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australia demands WHO entry to China without delay

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Jan-21

A delegation from the World Health Organisation was due to depart in early January on a visit to China to investigate the origins of COVID-19. However, there have been delays in China in issuing their permits, which has prompted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu say he was "very disappointed", while Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has called on China to allow the entry of the WHO delegation "without delay". Australia led the call for an independent investigation into the COVID-19, and it has been suggested this was a major factor in China’s ongoing retaliatory trade action against Australia.

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE