The Guardian - China-Albanese offers gentle rebuke over Chinas unnecessary barriers to trade at Shanghai expo
November 5, 2023 4 min 750 words
澳大利亚总理安东尼·阿尔班尼斯在上海国际进口博览会上发表讲话，暗示中国在与堪培拉的贸易战中采用强硬手段，他表示：“澳大利亚和中国之所以繁荣，要归功于依靠基于规则的贸易所带来的确定性和稳定性。”阿尔班尼斯的讲话显然是对中国一系列单边制裁的回应。 这篇报道反映了澳大利亚政府对中国贸易政策的担忧，尤其是在两国之间爆发了破坏性的贸易战后。阿尔班尼斯强调了“基于规则的贸易”的好处，这在国际贸易中是至关重要的。然而，他的言辞是含蓄的，避免了直接的指责，可能是为了维持外交关系。 中国总理李强在开幕致辞中强调了反对单边主义和保护主义，但这与中国过去对澳大利亚采取的单边制裁政策不符。中国的政策似乎存在一些矛盾，这使得两国之间的贸易关系更加复杂。 澳大利亚和中国之间的贸易关系对全球经济至关重要，因此需要建立稳定的合作关系。这篇报道凸显了贸易政策对于维护和促进国际合作的重要性，但也突出了两国之间存在的挑战。在当前复杂的国际环境下，明智的领导应努力协调和解决分歧，以确保互惠互利的贸易继续推动经济增长。
Anthony Albanese has delivered an implicit rebuke to China for its strong-arm tactics during Beijing’s protracted trade war with Canberra, telling attenders at a trade expo in Shanghai “Australia and China have prospered thanks to the certainty and stability that is made possible by rules-based trade”.
One the first day of official business during his landmark trip to China, Australia’s prime minister spoke at the country’s largest international trade show after the opening remarks of China’s premier, Li Qiang.
With premier Li watching on, Albanese noted there was an important role “for government to play in creating the right conditions for business to innovate and thrive, and helping business take advantage of market opportunities.”
“We do that by eliminating unnecessary barriers to trade and investment by fostering a level playing field and by working towards inclusive economic growth,” Albanese said.
Australia’s prime minister noted “every” country had “a role to play in advancing trade that is both sustainable and inclusive” and those goals could be achieved “through our domestic policies, and through fostering open and inclusive regional and international architecture.”
Minutes earlier, the Chinese premier had used his opening address to declare China was “resolutely opposed to unilateralism and protectionism and [would] firmly uphold the authority and the effectiveness of the multilateral trading system.”
Li’s remarks come despite China imposing punitive unilateral trade sanctions on Australian exports at the height of the damaging bilateral trade war with Australia. Some of those sanctions remain in place.
China lifted tariffs on Australian barley in August and agreed to review the sanctions imposed on Australian wine producers in late October. Australia’s trade minister Don Farrell met his Chinese counterpart, commerce minister Wang Wentao, on Saturday night to press the case for lifting the remaining sanctions on Australian exports, including rock lobsters.
In a positive signal from the Chinese leadership after disruptive wars with both the US and Australia, Li told the Shanghai trade expo China intended to pursue the stability of global supply chains and “promote international consensus and rules that are conducive to opening up and cooperation and removing the disruption of non-economic factors.”
On Sunday, China’s premier declared: “China will always stand on the right side of history and keep up with the progress of the times.”
The prime minister attended the opening session of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai before meeting Australian and Chinese business leaders and attending a reception hosted by Tourism Australia later in the afternoon.
Albanese told the expo in the half century since Gough Whitlam had first visited China – a milestone being marked during the first visit to China by an Australian prime minister since 2016 – “both our economies have transformed and modernised and diversified in ways that our predecessors could not have imagined.”
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The prime minister said peace and prosperity went hand in hand. “Both our nations have benefited from a region that has grown and prospered, become more open and interconnected – a region that has been stable and peaceful,” Albanese said.
“Both our societies have gained from tourism and educational exchange, from innovators and small business operators. And our trade in goods and services has nearly doubled since the China Australia free trade agreement came into force – making more and more high quality Australian products available to consumers in China, and providing key inputs for Chinese businesses.”
Albanese will travel to Beijing on Sunday night meeting China’s president, Xi Jinping, in the Great Hall of the People, on Monday. Xi is expected to press for Australia’s support for China to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
On Sunday, premier Li said China would pursue “more high level open platforms to expand globally oriented” free trade agreements and “actively pursue accession” to the CPTTP. Australia is expecting China to ask for Australia’s support to achieve that ambition during this visit.
Albanese is expected to raise human rights and consular issues, including the continuing detention of the writer, Yang Hengjun. China released the Australian journalist Cheng Lei in the weeks leading up to the Australian visit.