Opinion | Joe Biden’s win gives Australia the chance to reshape its ailing China ties. Will Scott Morrison go for it?
- Canberra needs to find a way to drag its relationship with Beijing out of the mire. A Joe Biden presidency may be the answer
- But Australia does not need to wait to strive for a better balance between its foreign and trade policy interests and its security imperatives
In his victory speech, Biden talked about an “inflection” moment in America’s history, the opportunity to take a different course.
Australian policymakers should, likewise, take advantage of the Biden victory to reassess China policy settings that, under present circumstances, are not serving the country’s interests.
Emphatically, this is not an argument for a quiescent China policy that disregards Beijing’s bad behaviour. Rather, it is a case for more nimble policymaking in Australia’s own national interests. Our mission is to share knowledge and inform decisions.
But whether we like it or not, whether it’s fair or not, whether China is a regional bully or not, Canberra needs to find a way to drag its relationship with Beijing out of the mire. The Biden victory may facilitate this.