China calls for review of Australia trade deal to cover AI, digital economy
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The news: China is calling for an expansion of its free trade agreement with Australia to cover artificial intelligence and the digital economy, Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian wrote in an opinion piece published in the Australian Financial Review Monday.
In the article, Qian urged a review of the trade deal on its tenth anniversary.
“Over the past decade since the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) came into effect, it has served as an important engine in boosting bilateral economic and trade co-operation,” he said.
“At the 10th anniversary of the implementation of ChAFTA, we are willing to review the agreement with a more open attitude and higher standard, further consolidate co-operation in traditional areas such as agriculture and mining, and actively explore new growth areas in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, healthcare, green energy, and the digital economy, elevating practical co-operation to new heights.”
The context: The piece comes ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s trip to China this week for trade and investment talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
It comes at a time when Australia’s relationship with the US is strained by new tariffs, a review of the AUKUS submarine deal, and calls for higher defence spending.
Over the weekend, Albanese cited John Curtin in a speech on a foreign policy “anchored in strategic reality, not bound by tradition.” Some analysts viewed the speech as a sign of greater independence from Washington, while former ambassador Arthur Sinodinos said it reaffirmed bipartisan support for the US alliance.
The source: Xiao Qian op ed
