High-level talks between the United States and Australia: The joint conference was held on Tuesday.
Washington:
The United States and Australia, a close ally, have held high-level talks on China and agreed on the need to maintain a rules-based world order, but the Australian Foreign Minister stressed that Canberra’s relations with Beijing were important and he had no intention of harming him.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper had two days of talks in Washington with their Australian counterparts, who had traveled the world for meetings despite the COVID-19 pandemic and who are facing to two weeks of quarantine on their return.
In a joint press conference on Tuesday, Pompeo praised Australia for resisting pressure from China and said Washington and Canberra would continue to work together to reaffirm the rule of law in the South China Sea, where China has asserted its claims. This has led to friction with other countries in the region and concerns about the freedom of navigation.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the United States and Australia share their commitment to the rule of law and reiterated their commitment to hold countries accountable for violations, such as erosion freedoms by China in Hong Kong.
She said the two sides also agreed to form a working group to monitor and respond to harmful disinformation and will consider ways to expand cooperation on infectious diseases, including access to vaccines.
At the same time, she said Australia didn’t agree on everything with Beijing – or the United States.
“The relationship we have with China is important. And we don’t intend to hurt it,” she said. “But neither do we intend to do things that are against our interests.”
She said Australia and the United States have a common interest in an Asia-Pacific region that is free, prosperous and secure and is broadly aligned on issues, including China.
“We don’t agree on everything though. And it’s part of a respectful relationship, part of a relationship that has spanned over 100 years as a ‘couple’.”
Payne did not give details of the disagreements with Washington, but said Australia makes its own decisions and judgments based on its national interests and security.
“We are dealing with China the same way. We have a strong economic commitment, another commitment, and it works in the interests of both countries.”
Pompeo, a persistent and forceful critic of Beijing, said in a speech last week that Washington and its allies must use “more creative and assertive means” to push China to change its ways and called it the “mission in our time”.
Pompeo also said maybe it was time for “a new grouping of like-minded nations, a new alliance of democracies” to that effect.
Pompeo was criticized by some for his speech, given the confrontational approach the Trump administration has taken to some traditional allies, including in Europe, on issues such as trade.
Payne declined to comment specifically, but said “the secretary’s speeches are his, Australia’s positions are ours”, even though countries were operating on the basis of shared values.
Responding to a question, Pompeo dismissed the suggestion that the administration’s approach was unworkable.
“It’s not about choosing America over China,” he said.
“It is about choosing freedom and democracy over tyranny and authoritarian rule, and I have no doubt that democracies, our Transatlantic Alliance … know precisely which side of this debate they want to be on.”
While Washington is Australia’s main security ally, China is its biggest trading partner and Canberra has strengthened its ties with the latter by pushing for an international investigation into the spread of the coronavirus which first emerged. times in China.
Beijing has imposed dumping duties on barley from Australia, suspended some beef imports and warned students and tourists against traveling there, citing racism charges.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
