Changed your words? Australia's hawkish defense minister shows weakness to China, Australian experts: Blindly confronting China will lead to abandonment by Asia

Since Australia danced with the United States last year and repeatedly rushed to the forefront of the anti-China alliance, it has been difficult for us to understand Australia’s operations. Treating its largest trading partner as an enemy, it has repeatedly incited public sentiment against China, and has been tit-for-tat with China at every turn. The result of more than a year of busy work is that it has lost the Chinese market in many fields, and the United States has only paid lip service to Australia's flattery.

After being hit hard in the economic field, Australia was exposed to scandals one after another. First, the massacre of civilians by Australian troops in Afghanistan caused dissatisfaction around the world, and then Morrison's cabinet was caught up in a sex scandal, forcing Morrison to Sen had to make major changes to his cabinet members.

After the adjustment, the "Global Times" published an article on March 31 titled "Australia Appoints "Combatant Politician" as Defense Minister", in which Morrison's new The appointed Defense Minister Dutton has always been regarded as a "hawkish" politician towards China, and added some of Dutton's anti-China remarks previously reported by foreign media.

Regarding the "Global Times" description, Dutton said in an interview on April 4 that the description of him as a "hawkish" politician is only half correct. He said that Australia will continue to work closely with the United States. Cooperation, but also close cooperation with China. He also expressed hope to see emerging powers like China and existing superpowers like the United States working closely together.

In addition, former Australian diplomat and political commentator Bruce Hague also gave an interpretation of China-Australia relations in a recent interview with the Global Times.

Haig believes that while Australia is busy pleasing the United States, China is surpassing Australia. The reason why Australia is dependent on the United States is because Australia lacks leadership and courage, and will therefore isolate itself from Asia.

In Haig's view, Australia's leadership has never been in its own hands. Before 1942, the United Kingdom was allowed to determine Australia's foreign and defense policies, and later it turned to the United States. In the past six or seven years, both former Prime Minister Turnbull and current Prime Minister Morrison have been trying to please the United States. Even pleasing the United States is Australia's default position on foreign and defense affairs.

Even if following the United States will cause damage to Australia's fundamental interests, because the Liberal Party-National Party alliance currently in power in Australia does not have the imagination and courage to change its stance on China, nor does it have mature negotiation experience, so The Morrison government will continue to follow the United States on the issue of China.

Haig’s prediction is not unreasonable. In his eyes, the United States is an ally that cannot be trusted, because the United States always conceals or even reverses the information it collects. This is indeed the case so far.

When Australia expressed its loyalty to the United States, the United States ostensibly accused China of using so-called "coercive diplomacy" against Australia. In fact, it secretly cut off Australia's market in China, making Australia a living A joke in the eyes of allies.

Hague’s assessment of the Morrison government’s lack of mature negotiation experience is also spot-on. Some time ago, when the Morrison government was about to introduce a new bill to require Google, Facebook and other platforms to pay for news, it was He used an overly simple and crude intervention method, and did not expect that Facebook held a "killer" trump card, which made him the perfect test subject for Facebook to scare chickens and monkeys.

After reading these confusing operations of the Morrison government, you may be able to understand why Australia can still "not change its original intention" towards China even after paying a high price for its anti-China policy.

If Australia can really wake up from these years of seeking skin from a tiger, then what Australia should do is respect China and not be caught between China and the United States as cannon fodder. They talk about close cooperation with China, but then turn around and see China as a target to attack. This kind of behavior that cannot see the reality and thinks that it can be arrogant by relying on the United States and Europe must have a lot of trouble waiting for Australia.

This time, Australia's "hawkish" defense minister once again talked about wanting to cooperate closely with China, but Australia is not the United States, and China is not Australia. He will not believe it after hearing a few good words. If the defense minister, who is not a "hawk", wants to prove himself, then he should take some substantive actions.