John Garnaut in Beijing and Phillip Coorey: August 20, 2009
Extract from today’s SMH article……
AUSTRALIA'S ambassador to Beijing rushed back to Canberra yesterday for meetings about reviving the China relationship, as the glow of Australia's biggest trade deal vanished in China as quickly as it came.
Chinese state media applied a near blackout on reporting what the Rudd Government trumpeted as a $50 billion gas deal that demonstrated the strength of the China economic relationship, and instead called for sanctions against Australian tourism, education and iron ore.
An editorial in the China Daily, the Communist Party's English-language mouthpiece, said Australia's "Sinophobic politicians" were leading the world's "anti-China chorus" and "siding with a terrorist" - a reference to the recent granting of a visa to the exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
Yesterday the Australian ambassador, Geoff Raby, arrived in Canberra for what one official described as "emergency meetings" but a spokesman for the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, described as "routine" meetings with department officials and portfolio ministers. Mr Raby cancelled engagements in Beijing, including media drinks scheduled for tomorrow. ---------------------------------------------------
…..So, despite all the Whoopee Doo lately about our friendly relations with China and how the Chinese are dependant on our Resources – now we’re hearing a different story.
It’s ironical that our Federal Govt, lead by a Mandarin speaking former Foreign affairs expert has allowed relations to steadily deteriorate over the past year.
One does not have to be an ‘expert’ to see when and where we went wrong. Let’s hope for all our sakes, they forget the political point scoring and from now on, just wake up.
