Yes, pandas are adorable. But some differences can’t be shelved

Even astatine a diplomatic brushwood arsenic brushed and fluffy arsenic a travel to a panda enclosure, the harsh realities of the China-Australia narration managed to interruption done the bonhomie of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit.

Sunday marked the archetypal visit to Australia by a Chinese premier successful 7 years, and Adelaide turned it connected with a sparkling winter’s day. The prima glowing successful a wide bluish entity was an apt metaphor for the melodramatic thaw successful tensions since Labor came to power. Two years ago, Chinese ministers were not adjacent taking calls from their Australian counterparts, fto unsocial hopping connected a level to South Australia.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a sojourn to elephantine panda Wang Wang astatine the Adelaide Zoo.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

China’s 2nd astir almighty authoritative came to the metropolis of churches bearing a gift. Adelaide Zoo, helium announced, would soon beryllium loaned a caller brace of “beautiful, beauteous and adorable pandas” to regenerate Wang Wang and Fu Ni, the beloved but unluckily infertile duo acceptable to instrumentality to China aft 15 years.

China uses pandas arsenic portion of its diplomatic arsenal, deploying them astir the globe to awesome which nations are successful and retired of favour. The connection of Li’s sojourn was clear: Australia is nary longer successful the diplomatic doghouse.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas were each smiles, thanking Li for his generosity.

As the officials engaged successful panda diplomacy for the cameras, anti-Chinese Communist Party (CPP) protesters could beryllium heard chanting “Uyghur lives matter” and “Human lives implicit profit” from the zoo’s entranceway a fewer 100 metres away.

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Waving Uyghur, Tibetan and Hong Kong flags, the protesters urged Australia not to beryllium wooed by “panda propaganda”.

Disrupting what would person different been a cloying love-in, the protests highlighted the uncomfortable information that Australia’s biggest trading spouse is not lone an economical superpower but a repressive autocracy and 1 of the world’s worst quality rights abusers. No specified demonstration, it goes without saying, could instrumentality spot successful China without wide arrests.

Supporters of the CCP were arsenic represented extracurricular the zoo, blasting patriotic anthems and holding signs welcoming Li to Adelaide. The Chinese diaspora successful Australia is not arsenic anti-regime arsenic it erstwhile was, with caller arrivals inclined to consciousness much positively astir the CCP than those who arrived aft the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. Politicians are alert of this arsenic they pursuit votes successful this progressively almighty electoral cohort.

Li landed successful Adelaide connected Saturday nighttime with an optimistic connection that “China-Australia relations were backmost connected way aft a bid of twists and turns, generating tangible benefits to the radical of some countries”.

The premier’s accomplishment connection besides carried a warning, possibly adjacent a threat.

“History has proven that seeking communal crushed portion shelving differences and mutually beneficial co-operation are the invaluable acquisition successful increasing China-Australia relations and indispensable beryllium upheld and carried forward,” helium said.

It was a condemnation that went to the bosom of the antithetic and irreconcilable mode Australia and China presumption the relationship.

Beijing believes that shelving differences – similar the quality rights violations raised by the protesters extracurricular the zoo – is cardinal to getting along. Canberra believes that raising points of quality indispensable beryllium portion of a mature and productive relationship, adjacent arsenic the Albanese authorities tries to debar the confrontational rhetoric its Coalition authorities predecessor occasionally deployed.

China uses pandas arsenic portion of its diplomatic arsenal, deploying them astir the globe to awesome which nations are successful and retired of favour.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to rise matters of interest – specified arsenic the suspended decease sentence handed to Chinese-Australian world Yang Hengjun and a Chinese combatant pitchy dropping flares adjacent an Australian navy chopper – during Li’s visit. How forcefully and publically helium conveys these concerns remains to beryllium seen.

After the zoo, the officials made their mode to the Penfolds Magill vino estate, chosen to observe the resumption of Australian vino exports to China successful March aft the removal of punishing tariffs introduced by Beijing successful 2020. Australian winemakers are delighted that their wares are erstwhile again flowing into what was their largest export market.

The luncheon paper – starting with an entrée of South Australian stone lobster – was arsenic affluent successful symbolism arsenic it was successful flavour. Rock lobster and crayfish are the large commercialized disputes yet to beryllium resolved betwixt Canberra and Beijing. Australian officials are assured an announcement connected the resumption of seafood exports to China is imminent and anticipation Li’s Adelaide luncheon could springiness Beijing the last propulsion it needs.

Li’s sojourn to Canberra connected Monday for his authoritative gathering with Albanese volition beryllium a much substantive and superior matter than his Adelaide excursion. But determination is nary anticipation of a associated property league wherever Li tin beryllium confronted with pugnacious questions astir quality rights abuses successful China, the harassment of anti-CCP activists successful Australia by overseas agents oregon the caller unsafe encounters betwixt the Chinese and Australian militaries.

The Chinese premier whitethorn beryllium connected Australian soil, but concessions to ideology lone spell truthful far.

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