Morrison consults Howard and Rudd on China relations
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is ready and willing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, but only if there are no preconditions to holding the talks.
Morrison has consulted former prime ministers John Howard and Kevin Rudd on Australiaās strained relationship with China.
āIām always open to those who are experienced in these areas and both of those former prime ministers are experienced in those areas,ā he told reporters in Canberra.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese wrote to the Prime Minister last week, encouraging him to engage with both men after being approached by senior business and union leaders.
Albanese said the former prime ministers both enjoyed āsignificant relationshipsā with China.
He said Australian jobs in various export industries including the wine, education, timber and coal sectors were under threat because of the breakdown in Chinese relations.
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āTo be clear, it is China that is to blame for breaking down that relationship,ā he said.
āBut you need to find a way through and I think that it is very sensible to engage former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and John Howard.ā
Morrison said he is ready and willing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but only if there were no preconditions to holding the talks.
He is refusing to cede any ground over Chinese grievances with Australia in return for restarting diplomatic dialogue.
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āWe will of course remain absolutely open and available to meet to discuss any of the issues that have been identified,ā he said.
āBut those discussions, as Iāve made clear, wonāt take place on the base of any sort of pre-emptive concessions on Australiaās part on those matters.
āI donāt think that any Australian would want their prime minister to be conceding the points that theyāve set out.ā
China has launched a series of trade strikes against Australian exports in recent months and released a laundry list of issues with the relationship.
Morrison said he was aware of Chinaās various gripes and it would be a while until leaders from the two nations met if the 14 points presented a hurdle.
But he rejected claims the diplomatic relationship rapidly deteriorated last year after his government called for an investigation into the origins of coronavirus.
China is aggrieved about Australiaās foreign interference and investment laws, the exclusion of Huawei from the 5G network, and the Morrison Governmentās public comments about human rights abuses.
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