Autonomy serves Australia's interests best: China Daily editorial

This is a time of unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty, fresh after the incumbent US administration tried so hard to revive traditional alliances and partnerships. But recalibrating bilateral relations in light of a retrogressive US foreign policy and repositioning themselves on the global stage relative to the US' anticipated policy reversals will be an inevitable balancing act for every US ally and partner.

This certainly will not be an easy one, especially when it comes to a choice between China and the US trade wise, which appears likely considering the hawkish look of the list of the US president-elect's potential picks for his Cabinet.

Australia, however, might offer some useful reference for those struggling to strike such a balance.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in a Wednesday interview that he told US president-elect Donald Trump in a latest phone call that it is in Washington's interest to "trade fairly" with its allies, and that "it's in Australia's interest to engage with China as our major source of trade".

In another interview with the media on Oct 29, the Australian leader said: "The relationship with China is obviously important for Australia, they're our major trading partner, something like one in four of our export dollars, comes from China." But, as he acknowledged, so too is the relationship with the United States, which is Australia's largest two-way investment partner.

Australia's ties with China deteriorated when the previous Australian government fell under Washington's anti-China spell. But Canberra has woken up to the significance of those ties under the Albanese government and set out repairing them.

The strategic autonomy the Albanese government has displayed has proved that those ties are in both parties' interests. It is also evident that economic ties with China and the US do not have to be mutually exclusive.

China and Australia are both Asia-Pacific countries and important members of the G20, with no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest, but every reason to be partners of mutual trust and mutual achievement. And the two sides need to keep to the right direction of bilateral relations amid the profound changes in the world.

China and Australia should follow the trend of the times, proceed from the common interests of the two countries, pursue a bilateral relationship that features treating each other on an equal footing, seeking common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation, and push forward the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. This serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, meets the common expectations of countries in the region, and helps the international community better respond to the risks and challenges.

A "small yard, high fence", "decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains" and "de-risking" are essentially protectionism, which runs counter to the laws of the market, the laws of scientific and technological development, and the trend of human society.

China pursues a win-win strategy of opening-up and a new development pattern with the aim of achieving national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, which will bring unprecedented opportunities to Australia and other countries. China and Australia should therefore enhance mutual understanding and trust to promote common development through mutually beneficial cooperation.

In the Asia-Pacific region, China does not engage in exclusive cliques, bloc politics, or camp confrontation. Small cliques can neither solve the major challenges facing the world nor adapt to the drastic changes in today's world. So all regional countries should be vigilant against and oppose those attempts to throw the region into chaos.