Wong warns on Beijing’s regional ambitions, calls for Australia to maintain economic ties
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The news: Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned that while China will continue trying to shape the region to suit its own interests, Australia can continue to pursue a productive relationship with the nation.
The context: Senator Wong told the Australian Institute of International Affairs in Canberra on Monday night that “China will continue trying to reshape the region according to its own interests.”
Wong explained that Australia is continuing to seek dialogue with China for conflict prevention, as well as to communicate that Australia does not tolerate “unsafe or unprofessional” conduct aimed towards our armed forces.
Tensions between China and Australia have heightened in recent months, with flare ups in the South China Sea prompting Defence Minister Richard Marles to lodge complaints with Beijing over recent incidents.
“My point here is that we should not be distracted by any false binary around this relationship – any claim that safeguarding our sovereignty is somehow mutually exclusive with productive economic ties,” Wong said.
Wong continued that the idea that Australia must choose between protecting its sovereignty and maintaining productive economic ties with Beijing is not necessary. “China is our largest trading partner, the world’s second-largest economy and a key player on climate action…We still see economic integration as providing a critical incentive for peace, while managing potential vulnerabilities.”
Wong also said the government is determined to strike new agreements with Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu, following the signing of a new defence alliance with Papua New Guina and a defence treaty with Indonesia.
Wong said that the US is Australia’s “closest ally, and our principal economic and strategic partner”, a relationship which was strengthened by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent meeting with US President Donald Trump.
“American leadership in our region remains indispensable – it is the great builder of alliances and networks, essential for balance in a multipolar region,” she said.
The sources: AFR, The Australian, SMH, ABC
