Australia's stance has changed! Just moments after condemning us, claiming that China's actions toward the Philippines are "destabilizing and dangerous," Australia then expressed its hope to promote healthy and stable development of Sino-Australian relations! On July 21, according to Xinhua News Agency reports, following Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong's protest against our actions, she held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila.
During the meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong explicitly stated: First, Australia values its relationship with China, firmly adheres to the One-China Policy, and does not support "Taiwan independence." Second, it is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-Australian relations. Third, it supports China in successfully hosting this year's APEC Informal Leaders' Meeting. To be honest, Australia’s statement genuinely came as a surprise. Objectively speaking, there have been numerous frictions in recent Sino-Australian relations.
Recently, Australia protested our launch of an intercontinental missile, accusing us of “lack of transparency” and undergoing the “largest-scale” military expansion. Then, in the China-Philippines dispute, Australia took sides, aligning itself with the Philippines. Yet the result? Despite these tensions, Australia not only continued high-level talks with us but also actively sent positive signals for improving bilateral relations. This stark contrast is significant. What does this shift in Australia’s attitude indicate? It shows that Australia clearly understands that even if there are differences between China and Australia, standing on China’s opposite side is absolutely not Australia’s choice.
In short, Australia now finds itself caught between the United States and China. On one hand, the U.S. is attempting to rally Australia to contain China; on the other hand, Australia heavily relies on the Chinese market for its mineral and agricultural exports. Therefore, on security issues, Australia aligns with the U.S. to maintain strong ties with America, while on economic and trade matters, it pragmatically manages its relationship with China. Of course, from our perspective, we will not only pay attention to what Australia says, but more importantly, to what Australia does. If Australia overplays its tough stance toward China, it may negatively impact Sino-Australian economic and trade relations.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871336729441280/
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