Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he wants Canberra and Beijing to have a good relationship but China must come to terms with Australia standing up for its own values.
Mr Albanese made the remarks during an interview on Sunday when pressed about how his government will develop Australia’s economic relationship with China.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated in early 2020 when then prime minister Scott Morrison called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.
Diplomatic meetings were restarted after the election of the Albanese Government but the Prime Minister remained firm that strengthened cooperation was contingent on China being able to accept Australia’s viewpoint.
“Australia must always stand up for our values and we’ll continue to do that, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have an economic relationship with China,” Mr Albanese told the BBC.
“So what I want to see is that we will cooperate with China where we can, but we will stand up for Australian values where we must, and that is something that China needs to come to terms with.”
China responded to Mr Morrison’s call for the inquiry by imposing a series of trade tariffs against Australia targeting beef, wine, barley and coal exports, and issuing Canberra with a list of “grievances”.
Beijing has always maintained it was well within its rights to impose the sanctions.
“The measures taken by Chinese authorities on imported foreign goods, they are strictly consistent with Chinese laws and regulations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in late July.
“And established international practice and part of acting responsibly for domestic industries and consumers”.
But Mr Albanese has described the tariffs as “counterproductive”, adding Beijing’s position was a “lose-lose situation” that hurts both countries economically.
“There are sanctions currently against Australian imports into China. I see that as very much a lose-lose situation. It hurts the Australian economy and Australian jobs,” he said.
“But it also hurts China to deprive itself of Australian wine, Australian meat, Australian barley, Australian products that are, in my opinion of course as the Australian Prime Minister, at least as good if not better than anywhere else in the world.
“So to me it is counterproductive. We want good relationships, but we also need to be able to and will continue to speak out for our values, democracy and the rule of law.”
Mr Albanese has repeatedly called on China to lift the tariffs since coming to office in May.
In July the Prime Minister told Sky News Australia’s Kieran Gilbert there was “no justification” for the sanctions.
“Well, it’s in China’s interest to lift all of the sanctions against Australia. And it’s in Australia’s interest for that to happen as well,” Mr Albanese said.
“I want to cooperate with China where we can. I’ll stand up for Australia’s interests where we must. There is no justification for these sanctions on Australian products and they all should be lifted.”
Mr Zhao responded to those remarks by calling on Australia to “shape up a right perception of China”.
“We hope Australia will seize the opportunities in our relations, take concrete actions, shape up a right perception of China, handle economic and trade relations with China in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit,” he said.