The View

Australia only has itself to blame for trade woes with China after siding with the US

Australia has no business playing the victim when the lines between strategy and economic interests have become increasingly blurred

Beijing should treat with caution renewed efforts to get relations back on track, and avoid rewarding Canberra for its coercive behaviour

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Silos are loaded with barley at a farm near Gunnedah, 443km (275 miles) northwest of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia, on August 30. China agreed to lift tariffs on Australian barley last month, raising hopes among exporters that punitive measures enacted on other Australian goods might also be removed soon. Photo: Reuters

Sameed Basha is a defence and political analyst with a master’s degree in international relations from Deakin University, Australia.

Published: 6:15am, 6 Sep 2023

Representatives from the Australian government are scheduled to embark on a trip to Beijing this week, signalling the end of three years of strained diplomatic relations.

This trip is an ongoing attempt to fully restore ties before the eventual visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, expected to be in October, coinciding with the anniversary of the historic visit by prime minister Gough Whitlam in 1973.

It is unclear what environment Canberra wishes to create from these talks for his visit. The increasingly negative attitude towards Beijing, especially in Australia’s media, has alienated the goodwill between citizens of the two countries.

In a poll by the Lowy Institute, 42 per cent of Chinese Australians felt the media reporting on China was too negative, with 78 per cent of Chinese respondents to a different survey believing Australia’s media lacked balance, depth and independence when reporting on Chinese-Australian communities. Seven in 10 respondents believed the media portrayed Chinese communities with suspicion and a risk to Australia’s national security.