Pacific diplomacy
Wang reiterates Canberra 'reset' call as he wraps up Pacific blitz
Michael SmithNorth Asia correspondent
Updated Jun 5, 2022 – 2.22pm, first published at 2.16pm
Tokyo | China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has used the last leg of his Pacific Island tour to call for a reset in Sino-Australian relations and urged both countries to find common ground to resolve their differences rather than operate on diplomatic "autopilot".
Mr Wang made the comments, reported in state media over the weekend, when he was in Papua New Guinea on Thursday. On Friday, he signed a series of agreements covering agriculture, economic co-operation and a media partnership in East Timor. However, President Jose Ramos-Horta said his country would not sign a security pact with Beijing.
Wang Yi with East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta. AP
Even as the Albanese government seeks to counter China's diplomatic play in the region by holding its own high-level talks with Pacific leaders, Mr Wang's rhetoric was conciliatory when asked about Australia-Beijing relations. However, he said there was no "autopilot mode" to fix it.
"The crux of the problem lies in the fact that some political forces in Australia insist on treating China as an adversary rather than a partner, and portraying China's development as a threat rather than an opportunity," Mr Wang was quoted as saying in the China Daily.
"The solution is to view China and China-Australia relations rationally and positively, respect each other, seek common ground while shelving differences, and create necessary conditions for bringing bilateral relations back on the right track," he said.
His comments follow overtures from China's ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian, who wrote in The Australian Financial Review last week that Beijing was ready to talk. Foreign Minister Penny Wong also confirmed she had "received correspondence" from Mr Wang and would respond in due course.
Although China's Premier Li Keqiang wrote a letter to congratulate Anthony Albanese on his election win, Mr Wang is the most senior Chinese government official to comment directly on the change of government in Australia and what it means for the relationship between the two countries.
Ongoing tensions
However, there is scepticism about China's gesture. Mr Xiao said China would not lift sanctions on $20 billion worth of Australian exports and that the detention of Australian citizens Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun were individual cases which would not affect diplomatic relations.
China's ambitions in the Pacific will also remain a key point of tension, even after Mr Wang failed to secure a region-wide security and economic pact during a meeting of 10 foreign ministers last week. Several nations complained that Mr Wang had tried to rush through a deal, and they had no interest in signing a security agreement similar to the one Beijing and Solomon Islands secured last month.
"Absolutely not, why would we?" Mr Ramos-Horta told Sky News on Sunday.
"We don't feel threatened by anyone; we have the best possible relationship with the United States, with Indonesia, with Australia and New Zealand and Singapore."
Mr Wang met East Timor's Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak and Foreign Minister Adaljiza Magno on Friday, when they signed agreements covering agriculture, digital television and economic and technical co-operation.
East Timor and Papua New Guinea were two key stops at the end of Mr Wang's visit to the region. However, concern among opposition politicians who are vying for leadership roles in next month's elections in Papua New Guinea suggest there will opposition to doing deals with China other than trade and investment.
Mr Wang met 17 Pacific leaders and more than 30 ministerial-level officials either in face-to-face talks or via video during his eight-day tour, according to state media. Beijing also signed 52 bilateral deals covering the economy, climate change and COVID-19.
China last week failed to get a majority of Pacific Island nations to approve its proposed region-wide security deal. Instead, it released a 15-point position paper that removed its original proposal for joint police training and law-enforcement co-operation, but said it still wanted to work with island nations on cybersecurity and "non-traditional security threats".
Michael Smith is the North Asia correspondent for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Tokyo. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com
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