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How Penny Wong hopes to create friendly relations with China as she secures a top role in Anthony Albanese's government
- Penny Wong is set to become the new foreign minister following Labor's victory
- Ms Wong is hoping to repair the relationship between Australia and China
- She has urged the government to 'stop playing of domestic politics' on Beijing
- The ALP emerged victorious, with Anthony Albanese named 31st Prime Minister
PUBLISHED: 09:01 BST, 22 May 2022 | UPDATED: 09:38 BST, 22 May 2022
Penny Wong (pictured) will be looking to repair Australia's damaged relationship with China as she's set to become the foreign minister after Labor's historic election win
The ALP emerged victorious on Saturday night, with Anthony Albanese named as Australia's 31st Prime Minister. Mr Albanese and Ms Wong (both pictured with Jodie Haynon), along with Richard Marles, Katy Gallagher and Jim Chalmers, are set to be the first ministers sworn in
China will likely be a point of discussion during the leaders meeting, as Penny Wong aims to repair relations with Australia's largest trading partner.
Ms Wong has previously admitted the task of getting back on Beijing's good side will be 'difficult' amid an ongoing trade spat, as well as a whirlwind of threats by diplomats and communist party-run newspapers.
But the senator has argued that it is possible for the bitter feud to simmer down if the government stops 'playing on domestic politics' with the external issue.
Leading political analyst Dr Byrce Wakefield told Daily Mail Australia that while he agrees there may be an 'opportunity to reset ties' with China, a change of leadership may not make any difference as China looks become the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific.
Ms Wong told the Guardian's Australian Politics Podcast that tactics by Scott Morrison to paint Labor as soft on China had only made the situation worse.
The Prime Minister in February branded Labor deputy leader Richard Marles a 'Manchurian candidate' after he called for closer defence ties with China on a trip to Beijing in 2019.
Ms Wong said the extraordinary attack to portray the Opposition as weak on national security and a puppet of an enemy power, was an act of 'desperation'.
'It is also a trashing of Australia's national interests because one of the things that makes us strongest is our unity,' she said.
'What we won't do is play domestic politics with the China relationship.'
The once rosy political ties has spiralled downwards since April 2020.
Beijing reacted furiously to Australian government calls for an international independent inquiry into the origins of the Covid pandemic by imposing a range of tariffs and arbitrary bans of billions of dollars worth of key exports including barley, wine, beef, seafood, coal, copper and timber.
Prior to that in 2018, the authoritarian superpower erupted when Australia moved to ban Huawei from participating in the nation's 5G rollout on the grounds of national security concerns.
Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea, crackdowns on democratic freedoms in Hong Kong and horrific human rights abuses against minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet, have also been sticking points for the two nations - as well as intelligence that China had tried to 'influence' Australia's political system through an thwarted espionage plot.
Ms Wong reiterated that Labor will not kowtow to China on any of these issues, adding that repairing the relationship is ultimately 'a question for China'.
'We can't control how they behave,' Ms Wong said. 'If China chooses to continue to impose what are clearly coercive economic measures on Australia, then that's going to have a consequence in terms of the relationship.'
'We won't be abandoning the positions that cause China concern – Australia's position on the South China Sea, Australia's right to determine who builds its 5G network and who is part of the NBN,' Ms Wong said.
'We're not going to abandon our position on the UN convention on the law of the sea or human rights or foreign interference.'
Dr Wakefield, who heads up the Australian Institute of International Affairs as the national executive director explained that Labor has tried very hard to burnish its credentials on foreign policy and rising tensions surrounding China.
'They want to create the impression there is no daylight between the two parties and that is very true,' he said.
'But Labor and the Liberals take a much different tone to the China issue and tone does matter when dealing with Beijing.
'So that could encourage a feeling of mutual respect creating an opportunity for the relationship to be repaired.'
But he also added that there is a tendency to believe Chinese pressure on Australia is 'all about Australia'.
'That's not always the case. In many ways it's about sending a message to other countries in the region not to speak out,' Dr Wakefield said.
'So tensions may continue no matter who is elected or what stance they take.'
But this tactic by Beijing is starting to wear thin.
'There is actually pressure on China from the international community and even domestically, to find some sort of off ramp for tensions with Canberra.
'Their trade measures against Australia haven't been particularly successful, nor has their wolf warrior diplomacy. It has received an international backlash.
'So, it may be looking for some sort of reset and an election may be reset even if Australian policy towards China doesn't actually change.'
Highlighting this point is that Foreign Minister Marise Payne met China's new ambassador, Xiao Qian, in Sydney last month in what was regarded as a major breakthrough in relations.
Chinese diplomats have not even returned the phone calls of Australian officials in almost two years.
Penny Wong hopes to repair relations with China as Foreign Minister
Penny Wong will be looking to repair Australia's damaged relationship with China when she becomes the foreign minister after Labor's historic election win.
