China's new ambassador in Canberra has again declared that he wants to reset the relationship with Australia, saying his country wants to seek "friendship" with Australia.
Beijing has not ended its two-year long freeze on top-level meetings with Chinese leaders, nor meaningfully eased any of the sweeping trade sanctions it has imposed on a long list of Australian products in retaliation for a series of political disputes.
It is also still trying to rally international opposition to the federal government's plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines with the United Kingdom and the United States under the AUKUS agreement.
Tensions between the nations flared again last month when a Chinese warship pointed a military-grade laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft in the Arafura Sea, an action which the Morrison government said put lives at risk.
And, most recently, Australia has lashed Beijing for its stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, accusing the Chinese leadership of offering Moscow an economic lifeline and undermining US-led efforts to financially isolate it.
However, the new ambassador, Xiao Qian, told reporters in Canberra that, while there were some "problems" in the relationship, he had a clear mission to get it back on the right track.
"There are certain areas [where], undeniably, we have different views but there is no area, so far as China is concerned … that [is] confrontational in nature."
"So, there is every reason Australia and China should be friends, could be friends, could be partners for cooperation, instead of the other way round."
Chinese Foreign Ministry takes a different approach
The ambassador's tone is in stark contrast to that taken by China's Foreign Ministry spokespeople in Beijing, who have repeatedly berated Australia over a series of political disputes involving trade, defence, cyber attacks and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It is also unlikely to sway the federal government, which says that it is not willing to make any concessions that harm the national interest simply to resume dialogue with China.
When the ambassador declared last month that China was willing to meet Australia "half way" to resolve disputes, the Prime Minister said he would not accede to any of the so-called 14 demands issued by the Chinese Embassy in 2020.
On Thursday morning, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said her decision to meet recently with Xiao Qian "should not be read as an indication that Australia would in any way, shape or form compromise the principles that underpin our national interests and our national security"
"We have consistently made that clear. We want constructive relations, but we're not prepared to compromise Australia's national interests, Australia's national security [nor] to have conditions placed on relations," she said.
The ambassador did not say whether Australian officials had pressed him over China's ties to Russia, and he brushed off a question about Defence Minister Peter Dutton's claim that China "backed" Labor to win the approaching federal election.
"Whoever is going to be the ruling party after the election, we are looking forward to a more positive relationship [and] we are ready to work with the new government."
