Julie Bishop warns Australia may be stuck in ‘infamous Chinese freezer’ if China relationship isn’t mended

Julie Bishop has raised the alarm over the Morrison Government “unnecessarily offending our largest customer” and is urging it to “re-engage” with China. The former WA MP and Minister for Foreign Affairs warned Australia may be stuck in the “infamous Chinese freezer” for years and face further trade sanctions if the relationship was not repaired. “The way for the Australian Government forward is to continue protect national interest of course, but avoid the unnecessary... tit for tat,” she said at an Australian National University’s livestreamed Chancellor’s Panel. “I would be looking for opportunities to engage across many sectors, not just Government to Government.” Ms Bishop, now the Chancellor of ANU, conceded the restarting of constructive dialogue with China was largely up to Beijing, but said Australia needed to remain “patient” through the deep freeze in the relationship. In the meantime, she urged for “significant investment” in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to increase Australia’s international engagement with China, the US and others around the world. Last year, more 50 Canberra-based DFAT jobs were slashed, along with a further 10 international roles, because of financial reasons. Two of those 10 roles were understood to be Beijing-based. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who also appeared on the livestream, said the Government needed to limit its criticism of China. “A predisposition of Morrison Government is to shoot its mouth of unnecessarily,” he said. “(There is) a lack of discipline in Senior Ministers of Morrison Government, including the Prime Minister from time to time.” China’s biggest attack on Australia came in May 2020 when it imposed tariffs of up to 80 per cent on Australian barley. Just weeks later, Beijing suspended the export licenses of four abattoirs, which collectively produced one third of the beef exports sent to China. The Chinese Ministries of Tourism and of Foreign Affairs also issued advisories against travelling or studying in Australia, threatening the $12 billion in education services and $16 billion in travel services provided by Australia to China. It followed Australia calling for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 before any other country did, a move that was later cited by Beijing as a key reason behind the deteriorating relationship.