With everything, there is a season, and China’s season is almost about to go into full bloom. And Australia will be the first to be excluded from its benefits. The last four years with Donald Trump and the Western media rhetoric painting China as the aggressive militant power could not be further from the truth. Scott Morrison’s leading of the charge to appease the United States by setting policies to contain China has only damaged Australia’s own economy. Several surveys released last month show that the citizens of both China and Australia have a growing unease with each other. But to understand China and to get along with China is simple. Two key “musts”: 1) Respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang . And of course, the infamous “ nine-dash line ”. No pressure, naval ships, sanctions nor Quads will make China concede on these issues and, as time goes by, even less so, as China returns to the top in the geopolitical scheme of things. 2) Treat China with the respect due to a No 2 nation moving into the No 1 position. And allow it the same opportunities to invest and grow as for any other leading country. Then all will benefit greatly from China’s growth, be it in vaccine diplomacy, the belt and road, or just simple trade and investments. These Australia has done well in the past resulting in tremendous growth for the country, until it didn’t. Australia has led the “attack China on all fronts” brigade, being the first to ban Huawei Technologies in 2018, and calling for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19 last year. To do that and still wish to trade with and make money from China is wishful thinking. As foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian put it: “We will not allow any country to reap benefits from doing business with China while groundlessly accusing and smearing China and undermining China’s core interests based on ideology.” US must accept its hegemony is waning, says Chinese foreign vice-minister This suggests that China will continue to diversify from Australia on all fronts. Beijing will not bother to coerce or influence Canberra to do anything if it concludes that the Morrison government is simply not worth trusting and Australia too small a player in geopolitics to bother with. In stopping purchases from Australia, China is buying more from the US instead, addressing its trade deficit with that country. Australia has given China the perfect hand at an opportune time. Going by recent coverage, I see an ever so slight shift from the usual China-bashing from Australian media , perhaps with the reflection of having gone just that bit too far with microphone diplomacy. Although Canberra will not say so, the tide is slowly and surely turning back to China’s favour. However, Australia is now in a severely disadvantaged position and China is in no rush to stop the lesson. Australia making a big mistake taking on China Unless Morrison reverses some major policies or gives some major concessions, Beijing will remain silent until there is a new leader that they feel they can trust and talk to. But given the mutual mistrust, Australia’s bad hand may only get worse. Suzanne Ho, Singapore