Despite China's Warming Tone on Australia, Bilateral Ties Will Remain Icy

Despite a recent diplomatic statement suggesting that China wants to improve ties with Australia, relations between the two Asia-Pacific powers will remain tense due to Beijing's threatening activities in the Pacific Islands and growing anti-China political sentiment in Australia. On Feb. 25, China's new ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said Beijing was willing to go “halfway” to repair relations with Australia, and that his government considers its relationship with Australia to be very important. This is a stark contrast to Beijing's consistent stance that the onus was on Canberra to repair bilateral relations, which have soured in recent years. ...