They say that bad things happen in threes, and that certainly seems to be the case in Chinese-Australian relations. Over the past week, Beijing has castigated Canberra over the decision by leading Australian politicians to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
It has issued a formal diplomatic protest to Australia over its decision to participate in a joint defence meeting with the US, Japan and India last month.
And Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss has alluded to the fact that the much vaunted proposed free-trade agreement with Beijing is proving elusive.
It's too early to suggest that relations between the two, which have been going swimmingly for a number of years, are about to turn sour. But there is no doubt that the road ahead is going to challenge both countries' diplomatic patience.
It would be foolish for anyone to get too nervous about the row over the decision by Australian Prime Minister John Howard and opposition leader Kevin Rudd to meet the Dalai Lama last week. Having finally decided, after much sidestepping of the issue, that they would meet one of Beijing's chief irritants, both men would have expected the mainland government's warning that such meetings could damage relations.
But Beijing's view that Australia - by participating in the strategic defence talks - is joining India, Japan and the US to gang up on it, is potentially a more serious impediment to smooth ties.