According to diplomatic sources, the strategy from the beginning was to return to some “new normality” or “landing point”, where diplomatic negotiations are resumed in a more honest relationship.
And we seem to be approaching that landing point.
It’s not just Australian history. Over the past 12 months, Beijing has canceled its “wolf-warrior” diplomacy around the world as it has come to terms with the myriad damage it has done to its international reputation.
None of this means that the Morrison government sometimes engaged in skilful diplomacy. Marie Payne call for a global COVID-19 investigation in a televised interview and Peter Dathan repeated warnings of “war” stand out as moments that may have played into Beijing’s hands.
But the hard work is not over. Albanese and his Foreign Minister Penny Wong will face difficult decisions if more olive branches are offered. They need to keep a close eye on Chinese overtures, which may actually be traps.
It is noteworthy that the Albanian does not immediately respond to Lee’s overture. The new government knows it needs to be careful not to learn the wrong lessons from the campaign.
Labor did not win the debate on national security in the election, softening on China – they won by supporting the government’s position over the past 12 months and insisting that “China has changed.” When Morrison and Dathan tried to politicize China and national security during the election campaign, voters did not fail because Labor did a hard job.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden at a bilateral meeting during the summit of the leaders of the four countries in Tokyo.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Albanese and Wong are no doubt ignoring such as Western Australian Prime Minister Mark McGowan, who on Monday called for a “reset” of Australia’s diplomatic relations with China.
“We as a state export half of our national exports, and the vast majority go to China,” McGowan said. “So having a good relationship with your biggest partner is very important.”
Albanese and Wong do not want to return to the consideration of this relationship solely through the prism of economics, but more honestly.
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