Chinese ambassador calls on Australia to drop 'cold war mentality'
Rift has led to Australian wine exporters facing delays as shipments are held up
China’s ambassador to Australia said “less bias and bigotry” were needed to repair relations amid concerns over Chinese influence in Australia and its use of loans to build leverage over poorer South Pacific island nations.
“We need to see each other’s development and policy intentions from a more positive perspective with less cold war mentality,” Cheng Jingye said in a speech to politicians and business leaders in Canberra on Tuesday.
Relations between Canberra and Beijing have soured since Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull accused China late last year of meddling in domestic affairs, and as concern at China’s influence in the region has grown.
Editorials in Chinese state media, including China Daily and Global Times, on Tuesday, accused Australia of arrogance and taking a “distorted view on relations”.
The Sydney Morning Herald ran the headline “Bring It On” above a China-focused interview with Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop.
The rift spilled over into trade last month when Australian wine exporters began to face delays because Chinese customs officials held up shipments.