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US vows to back Australia against China's economic coercion
"The United States will not leave Australia alone on the field, or maybe I should say, alone on the pitch, in the face of economic coercion by China," Blinken told a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne following talks in Washington.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concludes his first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, on January 27, 2021.
(Agence France Presse/Carlos Barria)
U
S Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday vowed to support Australia in countering China's coercive economic diplomacy, while highlighting Washington's ties with Canberra through shared values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
"The United States will not leave Australia alone on the field, or maybe I should say, alone on the pitch, in the face of economic coercion by China," Blinken told a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne following talks in Washington.
"We have each other's backs so we can face threats and challenges from a position of collective strength," Blinken also said, reiterating the pledge of President Joe Biden's administration to work with allies to counter China's growing military and economic assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting took place as the ties between Australia and China have continued to sour amid the coronavirus pandemic, particularly after Canberra last year called for an independent review into the sources of the virus, first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
China hit Australian wine, beef and other products with trade tariffs and customs delays. It has also stepped up pressure on Australia for its recent decision to abandon some deals in the Asian power's cross-border infrastructure "Belt and Road" project.
Payne said she welcomed the "clear expressions of support from Washington" in dealing with "a number of challenges" posed by China.
She also said Australia will not compromise on national security or sovereignty issues, but it wants with China a "constructive relationship where we can discuss our differences, where we can work together for mutual benefit."
Blinken said he spoke with Payne about working to create "reliable and secure supply chains" as part of efforts to overcome economic coercion from China, the world's second-largest economy and a major trading partner for Australia.
While recognizing the need to promote human rights, Blinken said he did not talk with Payne about the possibility of boycotting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over China's alleged abuses against the Muslim Uyghur minority in its far western Xinjiang region.
"We're still some many months away from the Winter Games. We certainly hear concerns around the world (about human rights issues), and we'll be, I'm sure in the months ahead, talking to allies and partners about their views on the Olympics," he said.
As the Biden administration frames the US-China rivalry as a fight between democratic and authoritarian governments, Blinken and Payne acknowledged the significance of collaboration among a group of four major democracies in the Indo-Pacific region -- the United States, Japan, Australia and India.
The so-called Quad is advancing a vision of "a free and open Indo-Pacific" and is seeking to ensure international law is respected in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has been stepping up its territorial claims.
"We look forward to doing a great deal more through the collaboration among our countries in the months and years ahead," Blinken said, also touching on efforts by the four countries to increase global access to safe and effective coronavirus vaccines.
