Voice of Commonwealth

Australia’s post-election period a ‘good opportunity’ for China

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CANBERRA (CU)_Over the past few months, China’s diplomatic relations with Australia had been put to test, particularly following the signing of a security agreement between the communist regime and the Solomon Islands in the early stages of the Australian election campaign. The pact, which set off alarm bells across the South Pacific, prompted a furious debate in Australia’s political arena regarding how the country could best counter Beijing’s attempts to deepen its influence in the region. Meanwhile, China is expected to seek to reset its diplomatic ties with the Trans-Tasman nation following the upcoming election on Saturday.

The communist superpower is “genuine in our wish to improve the relationship” with Australia, a Chinese diplomatic source who did not wish to be identified told the Guardian. However, the source did not reveal further details on any specific actions China is willing to take in this regard, only saying Australia’s post-election period is seen as a “good opportunity” to ease tensions with either re-elected Coalition or new Labour government. “It’s nothing to be worried [about],” the source said. “There’s no animosity that should be interpreted in such a presence of a ship in the exclusive economic zone of Australia … We don’t agree with his judgment about a threat.”

Just last month, the Coalition accused China of “interfering” in Australia’s federal election, questioning the timing of the security agreement between Beijing and Honiara. “I think the one… thing we should be at least taking notice of and paying attention to is the timing of the announcement from deals in relation to Solomon Islands,” Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said in late-April. “Why now, why right in the middle of a federal election campaign, is all of this coming to light? I mean we talk about political interference and that has many forms.”

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has also repeatedly claimed that the Chinese Communist party wants the Morrison government to lose the election, but the Chinese diplomatic source says Beijing was open to talks to improve ties irrespective of who formed government. “We could have good momentum for the relationship,” the source told the Guardian. “We genuinely believe this relationship should work for the interest of both peoples, as it had [in the past].”

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