No need to be ‘anxious’ over China’s growing Pacific presence, envoy tells Australia

“It is not a strategy for military security, its a strategy to help policing their nation for social stability and basic order,” Xiao said, adding that there was “no need for any so-called anxiety on the part of Australia”.

Australia’s ties with China have stabilised after a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Beijing in November, the first in seven years by an Australian leader, and China wanted to further improve the relationship, Xiao said.

Defence was an area “we need to work harder on,” he said, also saying that China had lodged a diplomatic protest with Australia over its congratulations to Taiwan, which China sees as its own, over the election of a new president.

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China-Australia relations ‘on the right path’, Xi Jinping tells Anthony Albanese on Beijing visit

China-Australia relations ‘on the right path’, Xi Jinping tells Anthony Albanese on Beijing visit

Ties between Australia and its largest trading partner China improved last year after China lifted trade blocks imposed in 2020 on a raft of Australian exports.

A Chinese review of large dumping tariffs on Australian wine continued, an embassy official told the press conference.

Xiao played down hopes of the swift release of detained Australian writer Yang Hengjun, saying his national security case was different to that of Australian journalist, Cheng Lei, who was released shortly before Albanese’s visit to Beijing.

“I cannot expect the case will come to such a conclusion,” he said.