By Elishya Perera
SYDNEY, Australia (CU)_Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has consulted former prime ministers John Howard and Kevin Rudd on Canberra’s strained relationship with China, as several export industries of the country have been severely impacted by the diplomatic rift.
“I’m always open to those who are experienced in these areas and both of those former prime ministers are experienced in those areas,” PM Morrison told reporters on Monday (Jan 25).
Last week, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese wrote to the prime minister, encouraging him to engage with Howard and Rudd, during whose leadership, Australia maintained “significant relationships” with China.
Albanese noted that although Beijing is responsible “for breaking down that relationship”, however, Australia needs to find a way through, and therefore it is “very sensible” to consult the former prime ministers regarding the matter.
PM Morrison says he is willing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as long as there are no preconditions to holding the talks.
“We will of course remain absolutely open and available to meet to discuss any of the issues that have been identified,” the Prime Minister said. “But those discussions, as I’ve made clear, won’t take place on the base of any sort of pre-emptive concessions on Australia’s part on those matters.”
Any Australian would not want the country’s Prime Minister to be conceding the requirements set out by Beijing, he noted.
Over the past year, Beijing imposed economic sanctions on several agricultural and resources imports from Australia, including beef, wine, lobster, barley, timber and coal. Although experts say this was China’s response to PM Morrison’s call for an investigation into the origin of the Coronavirus pandemic, however, the Prime Minister has rejected these claims, alleging that “It has been happening for years.”
“The suggestion this has happened all on a dime I think is wrong. And we have seen these changes happen now for some years. The relationship has obviously changed, not over any one thing but over time,” he said.
“There have been changes where I think the sovereign position of Australia and the outlook of China, well those things have become more inconsistent.”
