

China tells Australia to mind its own business on South Sea dispute

Lisa Murray
Lisa MurraySenior writer

China has described the foreign policy white paper comments on the disputed South China Sea as "irresponsible" and called on Australia to butt out of the dispute.

China's official response to the white paper focused on the Australian government's comments on the South China Sea, where China asserts territorial rights over neighbouring countries.

"The white paper has a positive assessment of China's development and the China-Australia relationship but it made some irresponsible comments on the South China Sea," a foreign ministry spokesman said at a news conference on Thursday.


"Australia is not directly involved. It has said repeatedly it does not take sides. We would like them to stop making irresponsible comments."

Australia's emphasis on partnerships with like-minded Indo-Pacific democracies in its Foreign Policy White Paper is being viewed in Beijing as an attempt to exclude China.


The white paper, which was released on Thursday, recognises that China is a rising power that is challenging the position of the United States. The paper outlines a strategy to balance power in the region by not just relying on the US alliance but also seeking out partnerships with countries in the region such as Japan, India, Indonesia and South Korea.

Liu Qing, head of the Asia-Pacific department at the foreign-ministry linked China Institute of International Studies, said this new strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific demonstrated Australia's "contradictory" approach to China.

"On the one hand, there are positive comments on the Australia-China relationship and the paper talks about its importance," he said.

"However, it also puts an emphasis on the Indo-Pacific, which displeases China. These partners don't include China. This implies Australia wants to exclude China."

 David Rowe

Mr Liu said the latest white paper was "more ideological" than the Gillard Labor government's 'Australia in the Asian Century' white paper launched in 2012.

"The Gillard government talked more about building a prosperous Asia-Pacific region while this government puts more emphasis on ideology," he said.

"Australia wants the US to enhance its military presence in the region. This is a cold war mindset."


China's sensitivity around the new focus on the Indo-Pacific comes amid talks between Australia, the US, Japan and India to revive the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.

On friendly terms....Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC. Beijing is said to have been "displeased" by the foreign affairs white paper. Alex Ellinghausen

Initiated by Japan's Shinzo Abe, during his first term as leader, the dialogue was supported by former Prime Minister John Howard and quickly became a point of tension in Australia's relationship with China. Kevin Rudd withdrew from "the Quad" shortly after becoming Prime Minister in 2007. However, the concept has been revived and earlier this month, officials from the four countries met on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit to discuss their "shared vision" for "upholding the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific."

The Global Times, a hawkish state-owned newspaper, ran a fairly straight forward report of the white paper's release on Thursday but gave it a provocative heading: "Kangaroo's diplomatic white paper: democratic countries come together to contain China."

Song Guoyou, executive director of Asia-Pacific studies at Fudan University said "China puts more emphasis on the Asia-Pacific while Australia is trying to develop this Indo-Pacific strategy."

Still, Song said overall the Australian government's white paper was balanced.


"Australia realises it needs to maximise the state's interests by keeping a good relationship with China."


In the white paper, the government recognised the need for substantive and regular engagement and said it would "strengthen relations with China, now a major geopolitical player with the capacity to influence virtually all of Australia's international interests."

However, it also indicated a willingness to tolerate tension in the relationship.

"At times, closer engagement will be accompanied by friction arising from our different interests, values and political and legal systems," the paper said.


Mr Liu said Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's comments in interviews to mark the release of the white paper, where she said Australia was seeking "to balance against bad behaviour" were more "hawkish" than the position outlined in the White Paper.

The Turnbull government's position on China has toughened in recent months following Beijing's more assertive actions in the South China Sea and a heated debate within Australia over Chinese soft power and influence.

Last year, China rejected and ignored an international court ruling that found its island-building activities in the South China Sea were illegal and the nine-dash line it uses to claim the bulk of the important international waterway was invalid.

Over the past few years, Beijing has also launched a harsh crackdown on human rights lawyers in China resulting in dozens of arrests and detentions. At the same time, clear examples have emerged of efforts by Chinese Communist Party-linked figures to influence Australian politicians. This has become a sharp political issue and sparked a rethink on political donations, academic freedom and overseas purchases of critical infrastructure.

There is some concern the government's tougher stance might start to affect the trade and investment relationship between the two countries.

Lisa Murray

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