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Beijing bites back over Kadeer visa and iron ore prices
By Greg Sheridan and Michael Sainsbury
The Australian
August 18, 2009 12:01am
Strained ties ... China has vented diplomatic anger at the Rudd Government / AP
The Chinese have effectively banned visits by senior officials and sanctioned a press campaign against Australia, angered by several recent Rudd government decisions, such as granting a visa to exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
It is believed that the Chinese have also intimated that they may not co-operate readily with Australia over Asia Pacific regional architecture, which would make Kevin Rudd's plan for an Asia Pacific community difficult to achieve, The Australian reports.
While Foreign Minister Stephen Smith declined to comment on the Asia Pacific matter, his office confirmed that the visit by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs He Yafei was cancelled over the granting of the Kadeer visa.
Analysts have told The Australian the Chinese were extremely frustrated at their inability to influence the price of iron ore imports.
However, the last straw was the decision by Canberra to grant a visa to Ms Kadeer, who attended the Melbourne International Film Festival this month.
The Chinese also cancelled a meeting of senior Australian and Chinese officials.
Mr He had been scheduled to attend the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Cairns, which began on August 5, but was replaced by the lowly ranked Wang Yongqiu, the special envoy for the Pacific Islands Forum.
This broke with previous Chinese practice of PIF meetings being attended by either a Chinese vice-minister or an assistant minister.
It was also in marked contrast to India, which sent its Foreign Minister, S.M. Krishna, and the US, which was represented by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell.
International delegates at the PIF interpreted this as a deliberate slight to Australia.
A spokesman for Mr Smith told The Australian: "We regret that the Chinese government has felt obliged to take these steps, since the government's position on the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is clear."
In opposing a Greens motion on Xinjiang in the Senate yesterday, senator Joe Ludwig, on behalf of the government, reiterated Canberra's support for a one-China policy, and said that it considered Xinjiang to be part of China.
However, he also said the government had no evidence that Ms Kadeer was a terrorist. China frequently makes this charge against Ms Kadeer.
The souring of relations has prompted a major Chinese government policy think tank to warn Chinese companies about investing in Australia.
Read more on this story at The Australian.
Beijing bites back over Kadeer visa and iron ore prices | National News | News.com.au
Hi my name is Kevin Rudd and i like to FUCK EVERYTHING
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News
News
Beijing bites back over Kadeer visa and iron ore prices
By Greg Sheridan and Michael Sainsbury
The Australian
August 18, 2009 12:01am
- Ties with China strained
- Beijing cancels high-level visits
- Displeasure with Rudd decisions
The Chinese have effectively banned visits by senior officials and sanctioned a press campaign against Australia, angered by several recent Rudd government decisions, such as granting a visa to exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
It is believed that the Chinese have also intimated that they may not co-operate readily with Australia over Asia Pacific regional architecture, which would make Kevin Rudd's plan for an Asia Pacific community difficult to achieve, The Australian reports.
While Foreign Minister Stephen Smith declined to comment on the Asia Pacific matter, his office confirmed that the visit by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs He Yafei was cancelled over the granting of the Kadeer visa.
Analysts have told The Australian the Chinese were extremely frustrated at their inability to influence the price of iron ore imports.
However, the last straw was the decision by Canberra to grant a visa to Ms Kadeer, who attended the Melbourne International Film Festival this month.
The Chinese also cancelled a meeting of senior Australian and Chinese officials.
Mr He had been scheduled to attend the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Cairns, which began on August 5, but was replaced by the lowly ranked Wang Yongqiu, the special envoy for the Pacific Islands Forum.
This broke with previous Chinese practice of PIF meetings being attended by either a Chinese vice-minister or an assistant minister.
It was also in marked contrast to India, which sent its Foreign Minister, S.M. Krishna, and the US, which was represented by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell.
International delegates at the PIF interpreted this as a deliberate slight to Australia.
A spokesman for Mr Smith told The Australian: "We regret that the Chinese government has felt obliged to take these steps, since the government's position on the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is clear."
In opposing a Greens motion on Xinjiang in the Senate yesterday, senator Joe Ludwig, on behalf of the government, reiterated Canberra's support for a one-China policy, and said that it considered Xinjiang to be part of China.
However, he also said the government had no evidence that Ms Kadeer was a terrorist. China frequently makes this charge against Ms Kadeer.
The souring of relations has prompted a major Chinese government policy think tank to warn Chinese companies about investing in Australia.
Read more on this story at The Australian.
Beijing bites back over Kadeer visa and iron ore prices | National News | News.com.au
Hi my name is Kevin Rudd and i like to FUCK EVERYTHING
