Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (
Resource-rich Australia has been eager to boost its ties with energy-hungry China's expanding economy, and the two countries will further cement their relationship when Wen arrives in Australia today for a three-day visit.
But Canberra's willingness to embrace Beijing has highlighted a divergence with a wary US, which has questioned China's military and economic ambitions and chosen to pursue a nuclear energy deal with India.
"Australia's trying to tread a tightrope between our various trading interests and our strategic alliances," Monash University political analyst Dennis Woodward said.
Australia has long battled to balance a strong alliance with the US with its geographical location in Asia, home to its two largest trading partners, Japan and China. Canberra and Beijing are also negotiating a free trade agreement.
A US deal with India this month -- under which New Delhi will separate its military and civil nuclear facilities, and open civilian plants to inspections in return for US nuclear fuel and technology -- is seen by some analysts as a US bid to build India as a regional counterweight to China.
"We particularly appreciate Australia's view that China's development presents an opportunity, not a threat," Wen told the Australian newspaper in remarks preceding his trip, which some analysts have interpreted as a veiled swipe at the US.
Wen said he had "closely followed" recent security talks between Australia, Japan and the US, during which US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice voiced concern about China potentially becoming a "negative force" in the Asia region.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said that he is not "starry eyed" about Wen's visit, and that while Canberra and Beijing enjoy ties envied by other world leaders, the two countries still have differences.
The highest profile trade issue will be China's desire to buy Australian uranium so it can rapidly expand its nuclear power generation capabilities and lessen reliance on polluting fossil fuels. Canberra only allows uranium sales to members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty once they agree on a separate bilateral safeguards deal.
A supplementary agreement is also expected to be signed allowing Chinese companies to directly explore and mine uranium in Australia, although Howard said such arrangements would be subject to regular foreign investment controls.
Wen said in the Australian interview that he would propose regular leadership meetings between Australian and Chinese officials in order to maintain a smooth bilateral relationship. Only the US currently has such an arrangement with Beijing.
also see story:
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
CHIP EXCEPTION: An official said that an exception for Taiwanese semiconductors would have a limited effect, as most are packaged in third nations before being sold The Executive Yuan yesterday decried US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced hours earlier as “unfair,” saying it would lodge a representation with Washington. The Cabinet in a statement described the pledged US tariffs, expected to take effect on Wednesday next week, as “deeply unreasonable” and “highly regrettable.” Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said that the government would “lodge a solemn representation” with the US Trade Representative and continue negotiating with Washington to “ensure the interests of our nation and industries.” Trump at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on most goods
THUGGISH BEHAVIOR: Encouraging people to report independence supporters is another intimidation tactic that threatens cross-strait peace, the state department said China setting up an online system for reporting “Taiwanese independence” advocates is an “irresponsible and reprehensible” act, a US government spokesperson said on Friday. “China’s call for private individuals to report on alleged ‘persecution or suppression’ by supposed ‘Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices’ is irresponsible and reprehensible,” an unnamed US Department of State spokesperson told the Central News Agency in an e-mail. The move is part of Beijing’s “intimidation campaign” against Taiwan and its supporters, and is “threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and deliberately eroding the cross-strait status quo,” the spokesperson said. The Chinese Communist Party’s “threats
RSS