China-Australia relations: Canberra hits back at Xi Jinping’s ‘bullying’ remarks amid trade dispute

China’s President Xi Jinping told the Davos forum this week that relations between countries should be governed by rules and institutions, not dictated by might

Relations between China and Australia were in free-fall throughout last year, with China hitting out at a list of issues and imposing import levies on various products

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Australia Treasurer Josh Frydenberg took issue with Xi Jinping’s Davos speech. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 4:30am, 28 Jan 2021Updated: 9:12am, 28 Jan 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call for big countries not to bully the weak has exposed a “disconnect” between China’s behaviour and rhetoric, a top Australian minister said on Wednesday.

Still smarting from punitive Chinese sanctions on a range of Australian products and a rumbling war of words between Beijing and Canberra, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg took issue with the communist leader’s altruistic-sounding Davos speech.

Xi told the forum – which this year is being held entirely online – that relations between countries should be governed by rules and institutions, not dictated by might.

“The strong should not bully the weak. Decisions should not be made by simply showing off strong muscles or waving a big fist,” Xi said in remarks seemingly courting favour with smaller nations and offering a veiled criticism of the United States.

The reality is, Australia has been on the receiving end of some pretty harsh actions when it comes to our trade

Josh Frydenberg

But Frydenberg told reporters on Wednesday that Xi’s comments did not tally with China’s acts of economic coercion toward Australia.