A few days ago, New Zealand’s Minister of Trade and Export Growth, who had just signed the protocol to complete the escalation of the Free Trade Agreement with China, shouted to the Australian government in an interview with CNBC in the United States that he suggested that New Zealand should follow suit in its handling with China.
However, according to Australian media reports, he later said in private that he should not speak out about Australia’s position…
According to Australian media reports on the 3rd, Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said that a New Zealand minister who had criticized Australia’s attitude towards China called himself and said that he knew that he “should not speak out about Australia”.
And the senior minister is O’Connor, New Zealand’s Minister of Trade and Export Growth.
On Friday, O’Connor said in an interview with CNBC that although he should not speak out about the way Australia handles diplomatic relations, Australia should follow New Zealand’s handling with China, show respect for China
and have more diplomatic skills and be cautious in wording from time to time, so Australia is too There is hope that it may be in a similar situation (as in New Zealand).
But Dan Tehan said that he had since received a phone call from O’Connor, who clarified his remarks about “interfering” in Sino-Australian relations.
Dan Tehan said: “On Friday, he made some comments, so he called me and said he knew that he should not speak out about Australia.
I really appreciate that he can pick up the phone and do it.”
O’Connor’s spokesman also confirmed Dan Tehan’s statement, saying: “The minister spoke to his Australian counterpart last week and reiterated that we do not speak on this or any other matter on behalf of Australia
And as he said in the interview, Sino-Australian relations will always be a matter of China and Australia.”
Australian media said that O’Connor’s remarks were made at a time when Sino-Australian relations deteriorated.
In the past three years, no meeting has been held between the trade ministers of China and Australia.
In the past year, China-Australia’s relations have deteriorated, causing heavy losses to all walks of life in Australia in the field of commerce.
Unlike Australia, New Zealand signed an upgraded Free Trade Agreement with China last month and called China its key ally.
