China-Australia relations: Canberra’s approach based on ‘assessment of national interests’ despite New Zealand critique

Australia Trade Minister Dan Tehan said on Thursday that his trade policy will be guided by the three P’s of proactivity, principle and patience

A day earlier, his New Zealand counterpart Damien O’Connor seemingly questioned Canberra’s approach amid its 10-month dispute with Beijing

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China and New Zealand completed a review and expansion of their free-trade agreement on Wednesday, a month after Beijing and Canberra abandoned an opportunity to do the same. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 4:30am, 29 Jan 2021Updated: 5:34am, 29 Jan 2021

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan has defended his country’s dealings with China, saying they were based on an “assessment of national interests”, responding to his New Zealand counterpart suggesting that Canberra exercise a more diplomatic approach toward Beijing.

Tehan said on Thursday that his trade policy would be guided by the three P’s of proactivity, principle and patience after New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor seemingly questioned Canberra’s approach amid its 10-month dispute with Beijing.

We pursue engagement with China on the basis of mutual benefit, and the complementarity of our economies makes us natural trading partners

Dan Tehan

“We pursue engagement with China on the basis of mutual benefit, and the complementarity of our economies makes us natural trading partners. We are always open to dialogue as the best way to resolve differences,” said Australia’s minister for tourism, trade and investment, who replaced Simon Birmingham during a cabinet reshuffle at the end of last year.

On Wednesday, O’Connor, fresh from signing an upgrade and expansion of its free-trade agreement with China a month after Australia failed to review its similar agreement, called for more multilateral trade globally.

Decrying nationalism as a stumbling block to united global post-coronavirus pandemic rebuilding, O’Connor also said there was room in foreign policies to be both “cautious with wording” and speaking up on issues that were important.

“We have a mature … relationship with China, and we’ve always been able to raise issues of concern. But we respect the healthy trade relationship that we have … and we have frank discussions with them [China] and frank is something China appreciates and we certainly do on our side,” said O’Connor in an interview with CNBC.