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The RCEP, which was signed on Sunday, is a large commerce settlement which brings collectively 14 international locations in the Asia Pacific, together with China and Australia, in an enormous free commerce deal.
But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made it plain that there was no truce in sight throughout his each day information convention in Beijing Tuesday. Zhao stated the Chinese authorities bore no blame for the breakdown in relations.
“(They) have subsequently taken a series of wrong moves related to China, which is at the root cause of China-Australia relations taking a sharp downturn and stuck in the current difficult situation … the responsibility for causing this situation doesn’t lie with China at all,” he stated.
Zhao described three areas in which Australia had displeased the Chinese authorities — considered one of which was Morrison’s determination to name for a global inquiry. “(This) seriously interfered with international cooperation on pandemic prevention and control,” he added.
Zhao additionally berated Australia for repeatedly commenting on human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, in addition to the Chinese army’s threatening habits towards the self-governed island of Taiwan. “These practices have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people,” Zhao stated.
“It doesn’t mean that we will compromise at all in terms of our values, our security, our interests, but it does mean that the door is open from the Australian perspective,” he stated.
“We have reached out at every possible level and pathway.”
Zhao’s feedback got here after Australia and Japan agreed “in principle” to a landmark protection treaty between the 2 international locations, throughout a gathering in Tokyo between Prime Minister Morrison and Japanese chief Yoshihide Suga.
According to an announcement from Morrison’s workplace, the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) “will facilitate greater and more complex practical engagement between the Australian Defense Force and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces” and “will also support our joint involvement in broader multilateral exercises.”
In his first face-to-face assembly with Suga, Morrison thanked the Japanese Prime Minister’s predecessor Shinzo Abe for six years of negotiation on the settlement.
CNN’s Sophie Jeong contributed to this text.
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