Australia’s representative office in Taiwan declined to comment on Friday following a newspaper report claiming that Canberra was blocking ministerial officials from visiting Taiwan.
Greg Sheridan, a columnist at the Australian, wrote in Thursday’s piece, “China sends a message, and we tremble and obey,” adding that there had been a policy change in the government of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd blocking ministerial officials from visiting Taiwan.
The Australian Commerce and Industry Office, the country’s official representative office in Taiwan, declined to comment.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade rejected the allegation.
“Consistent with the one-China policy, Australia has for many years sent ministers to Taiwan to support Australian trade. In truth, these visits also recognize the political achievements of Taiwan,” Sheridan wrote.
“This will be the first time at least since the [Bob] Hawke government [1983-1991] that a whole parliamentary cycle has gone by without such a visit,” he said.
Sheridan also wrote: “A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told him the Rudd government had not made a formal undertaking to Beijing that no ministers will visit Taiwan during the first term of the Rudd government, but the spokesperson confirmed that there is no plan for a ministerial visit to Taiwan.”
Kyodo reported that Sheridan is a long-time critic of China’s communist government and has launched angry attacks on Australia’s two major political parties over their China policy.
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