China proposes dialogue with Australia as tensions rise in South China Sea

China has said it may propose talks with Australia on maritime issues amid continued tensions in the South China Sea.

Following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Australia last week, where he exchanged views with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Foreign Minister Wong Yingxian on issues such as trade, consular affairs and regional security, China Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated On March 21, Beijing was actively considering “initiating a dialogue on maritime affairs” with Australia.

In response to Beijing’s proposal, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told VOA in a written response that Wang and Huang exchanged views on maritime security during their meeting on March 20, adding that Canberra would “consider the most practical and useful form of dialogue” on maritime issues. ”

The news comes as China imposed $12.7 billion worth of sanctions on Australian products, most of which have been lifted in recent months, as Beijing and Canberra work to improve bilateral relations.

Although China and Australia have agreed to stabilize trade relations, regional security remains a sensitive issue between the two countries. After meeting Wang, Australia’s Wang told reporters she reiterated Canberra’s “grave concerns” about unsafe conduct at sea.

“I reflect the views of our region, once again outlined and emphasized at the recent ASEAN Summit, the importance of the South China Sea being governed by international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. [the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea],” she said in an interview press conference March 20th.

Some analysts say both Australia and China could benefit from bilateral dialogue on maritime issues. While Australia needs to avoid being seen as supporting China’s practices in the South China Sea, Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University, said “the way to mitigate escalation in the maritime domain is through open communication”. told VOA by phone.

Other experts said Australia should approach Beijing’s proposals with caution.

“Beijing’s motivation is to put the maritime dialogue with Canberra on a bilateral track, and China may want to promote Australia’s public discussion of the South China Sea and other maritime issues as much as possible,” the Australian Strategic Policy Institute told VOA by phone.

With the Albanian government “investing heavily” in improving relations with China, Graham believes Canberra will have a “hard time rejecting” Beijing’s overtures.

Some analysts say Australia will try to “multilateralize” the dialogue and involve other countries, rather than keeping it bilateral.

“once [Australia] Polygonized formats, they move [the dialogue] Stephen Nagy, a regional security expert at the International Christian University in Japan, told VOA by phone:

Despite China’s willingness to discuss maritime issues with Australia, Graham said Beijing was unlikely to change its stance in the South China Sea, where Chinese Coast Guard vessels have repeatedly clashed with Philippine vessels.

“Beijing will not change its position [in the South China Sea] Because it has been trying to get the wider region to accept its version of the law of the sea and its maritime claims,” ​​he told VOA.

Parker said maritime dialogue between China and Australia could at least help ease regional tensions. “I think a dialogue between Australia and China on maritime matters could help establish a mechanism to de-escalate the situation after an incident,” she told VOA.

Tensions rise

Tensions in the South China Sea between Beijing and Manila escalated again over the weekend. The Philippine government said a Chinese coast guard ship sprayed water on a Philippine vessel on a replenishment mission at Second Thomas Shoal on Saturday.

The incident is the latest in an ongoing confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the region. Beijing has urged Manila to stop intrusions and confrontations in the disputed waters, while the Philippine government has vowed to enforce its legal rights in its waters.

Australia has stepped up its partnerships with Southeast Asian countries in recent months in response to rising tensions, conducting patrols in the region with the Philippines last year and upgrading bilateral ties with Vietnam earlier this month.

As Beijing maintains an aggressive stance in the South China Sea, some experts say it will be difficult for China to persuade Australia to change its stance on regional maritime security issues.

“Beijing’s increased aggression will not make it easy for Australia to adopt a neutral stance,” Ray Powell, director of the Gordian Knot Center at Stanford University, told VOA by phone.

Graham said that while Australia did not have sufficient capabilities to independently influence dynamics in the South China Sea, Canberra could be an “effective balancer” in the region.

“Australia can turn around its longstanding struggle with Beijing by developing a sophisticated division of labor with other countries in the region, including the United States, Japan, India and Southeast Asian countries willing to work with Canberra,” he told VOA.