Australian ties with China have rapidly deteriorated in recent years, and Canberra’s special trade envoy seeks a deal with India that he believes would signal the “democratic world’s tilt away from China.”
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott visited India last week as a special trade representative for Canberra. On Monday, an opinion piece written by Abbot was published in The Australian titled, “India the sensible substitute for belligerent Beijing.”
Abbott wrote: “A swift deal between India and Australia would be an important sign of the democratic world’s tilt away from China.” He described India and Australia as “like-minded democracies” and touted the increased military cooperation between the two countries under the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad, which also includes the US and Japan.
The UK’s new aircraft carrier that is deployed in Asia will soon join the Quad countries in annual Indian-led exercises known as the Malabar. Australia joined the Malabar exercises last year, marking the first time all four Quad countries held military drills together since 2007. India had previously been hesitant to allow Australia to participate over the fear of sending the wrong message to Beijing.
Abbott said the “answer to almost every question about China is India” and accused Beijing of exploiting “the West’s goodwill.” As prime minister, Abbott oversaw the signing of a free trade agreement between Australia and China in 2015, which Canberra has accused Beijing of violating by putting sanctions and tariffs on Australian goods.
The deterioration in Sino-Australian ties is due in part to the overall Western push, led by the US, against China. Abbot’s op-ed was full of the typical talking points coming out of Washington. For the US, and even NATO, boosting ties with India is a priority to counter China in the region.
China did not push Australia away. Quite to the contrary, China was patient during the first round of anti-China noises coming from Australia. Australia acted aggressively and aimed at disrespecting China on every turn. Their calculation — as well as Trump’s , that China would crumble, and accept inferior position, remain cheap goods supplier and market for Western products — was wrong.
Now turning to India to fill that role — cheap labor, no environmental concerns and market for Australian products.
Even if India concedes, it will take years to create incomes in India to compensate what Australia lost in trade.
Yes, yes, and yes. It’s amazing how they all harmonize the Neocon billionaires’ song factitiously vilifying the designated “enemies” of Western “rules-based international order”; and, employing their pocket pols and commercial media, traditional and digital, how soon they have their populations full-throat joining in the chorus.
Indian students in Australia had a terrible time in Australia in 2009 and thereabouts with little help from the Australian government. Now Australia wants Indian help ?