Speaking of politicians who are good at changing faces in international politics, Australian Prime Minister Morrison is definitely among the best. No, after calling for an apology from China in response to the “comic incident”, Morrison made a sudden change in his style. On the 3rd, he publicly declared that he hoped to have “constructive contact” with China and said that “The relationship with China is mutually beneficial. This is good for our two countries.”
While attacking and discrediting China, while trying to make money from China-is Morrison confused? This is the same scene as the popular Australian drama “Utopia”. In the play, after several Australian officials discussed the defense budget, they came to a contradictory conclusion: “Almost 30 billion Australian dollars are spent every year to protect trade routes with China, so as not to be threatened by China.”
Reality is more absurd than drama. Looking back on Morrison’s two years of coming to power, he adopted a series of speculative policies: he followed the United States on the political level and frequently attacked China; economically, he wanted to enjoy China’s development dividend. As a result, this dangerous “tightrope walking” inevitably makes its policies appear entangled and confused, and step by step brings Australia into a predicament of self-restraint.
In fact, people with a discerning eye can see that Morrison’s neurotic performance is nothing more than a trick of an “old fritters” politician—for political gain, he does everything he can; sometimes it’s like a slick snake that has holes in it, and it’s all Not decent anymore. Behind this, there are factors that stick to the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, and there are also considerations of flattering the United States and seeking political self-interest.
The New York Times recently stated in an analysis article that the reason why Australia continues to attack a series of China’s territorial sovereignty issues in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, etc., is to show its value to the United States, that is, to actively stimulate China. And please your “big brother”.
But Morrison performed so hard, does “Big Brother” appreciate it? Former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin pointed out in a recent article that Morrison’s China policy will deprive Australia of its once stable market, while exporters from the United States and Europe will take the opportunity to fill the gap. At the same time, they will use sweet words to express their support and sympathy to Australia, “but in fact, we are isolated and helpless.”
Indeed, Morrisons, who are dedicated to gaining political self-interest, must carefully weigh: Can they bear the price of stalemate relations with China? For many years, China has been Australia’s largest trading partner and largest export destination. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s exports to China accounted for 38.2% of its total exports in 2019, and its trade surplus with China increased by 51.1%. According to the modeling analysis of Australian economists, if China-Australia trade is reduced by 95%, Australia’s GDP will lose 6%. A Chinese market with unlimited potential, can Morrisons still find a second one?
It is precisely because Australia has repeatedly provoked confrontation on issues involving China’s core interests and major concerns, China-Australia relations have fallen sharply and economic and trade cooperation has encountered obstacles. As a country that adheres to common openness and common development, China has always been committed to mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, but the premise is mutual respect and equal treatment. Morrisons don’t want to “pretend to be confused”!
It is worth noting that on the same day that Morrison claimed to be in contact with China, the Australian Parliament passed a bill giving the federal government the power to veto any agreement between states and foreign countries. Reuters pointed out that the scope of application of the bill after its passage obviously includes a framework agreement for the “Belt and Road” initiative signed between the State of Victoria, Australia and China in 2019. Melissa Conley Taylor, a researcher at the University of Melbourne, believes that “this will be another incentive for the deterioration of relations between the two countries.”
Listen to what they say and watch what they do, this is the principle of Chinese dealings. Morrison, who is “full of drama”, must show sincerity if he wants to “mutually benefit” with China.
