At Quad summit, Australia’s new PM scolds China over trade tariffs By Reuters

By Byron Kaye and Renju Jose

SYDNEY (Reuters) -New Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rebuked China on Tuesday for imposing hefty tariffs on Australian exports two years in the past, in remarks made whereas attending a regional safety convention in Tokyo a day after being sworn in.

Albanese confirmed that he had obtained a letter of congratulations from Chinese language Premier Li Keqiang after profitable an election on Saturday, however stated he had nonetheless to answer to the chief of Australia’s largest buying and selling companion.

“We are going to reply appropriately in time, once I return to Australia,” Albanese advised journalists in Tokyo, the place he was attending a summit of the Quad group together with U.S. President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Japan and India.

Albanese stated he was extra involved about wide-ranging tariffs on Australian items from coal to lobster, imposed by China just some years after the 2 nations applied a free commerce settlement.

“It is not Australia that has modified, it is China,” Albanese stated.

“It is China that has utilized sanctions on Australia. There isn’t a justification for doing that. And that is why they need to be eliminated”.

There had been hypothesis in Australian media that the congratulatory message from Xi would possibly sign a diplomatic thaw.

Relations have been at their lowest ebb for the previous couple of years following clashes over points starting from commerce to the origins of COVID-19, and accusations of China utilizing the web to meddle with Australia’s democracy.

Nationwide safety, particularly in relation to China, was among the many fundamental election points in Australia, and solely weeks earlier than polling day the Solomon Islands and China introduced a safety pact, sparking fears of a Chinese language army build-up lower than 2,000 (1,200 miles) away.

The stance Australia’s new premier adopts on the Quad summit could possibly be intently watched by China, which regards the casual safety grouping as an try to counter its affect within the Indo-Pacific area.

With votes nonetheless being counted, Albanese’s Labor Celebration is main on 75 seats – one wanting the 76 required for a majority within the 151-seat decrease home. Some analysts predict Labor will get sufficient seats to manipulate by itself.