AP

China envoy says Australia fired first shot with Huawei ban

Jun 23, 2022, 9:02 AM | Updated: Jun 24, 2022, 2:46 am

China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures during his address on the state of relations be...

China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures during his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney,Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

(AP Photo/Mark Baker)


              Professor James Laurenceson, left, director of the Australia China Relations Institute asks questions of China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian following his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              Security escort a protester, right, from the room as China's Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian delivers his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              Professor James Laurenceson, bottom left, director of the Australia China Relations Institute asks questions of China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, bottom right, following his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              Professor James Laurenceson, left, director of the Australia China Relations Institute, asks questions of China's Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian following his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A protester holds up a placard as security escorts her from the room during a speech by China's Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures as he answers following his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures during his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures as he answers following his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A protester is escorted from the room by security during a speech by China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, right, watches as a protestor is escorted from the room by security during his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures during his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney,Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A protester holds up a placard during a speech by China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A protester holds up a placard during a speech by China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney,Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A guest rips a placard held by a protester as he is escorted by security during the address by China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A protester is escorted from the room by security during a speech by China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures as he answers following his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              A security escorts a protester, right, from the room as China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian delivers his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
            
              China's Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian gestures during his address on the state of relations between Australia and China at the University of Technology in Sydney,Australia, Friday, June 24, 2022.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia had fired the “first shot” in its deteriorating relations with China four years ago when the then-government banned Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the country’s 5G network due to security concerns, a Chinese ambassador said on Friday.

Xiao Qian, China’s ambassador to Australia since January, gave a rare public address at University Technology Sydney that was repeatedly interrupted by human rights protesters holding signs that read “Free Tibet” and “Hong Kong independence.”

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was not aware of the human rights protesters at Xiao’s speech, but “we hope the relevant people will observe basic diplomatic protocol.”

The address comes as China shows signs of thawing a diplomatic deepfreeze of Australian ministers following the election of a new government last month.

Bilateral relations plummeted in early 2020 after the previous Australian government called for an independent investigation into the origins of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Xiao highlighted the government’s 2018 decision to block Huawei from Australia’s 5G rollout as a turning point in the relationship.

“That perhaps could be described as the first shot that has really damaged our normal business relations,” Xiao said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wrote to congratulate Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese days after his election victory in a gesture seen by some as China seeking to reset the relationship.

Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe had an hourlong meeting with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles on the sidelines of a regional security summit in Singapore this month in the first minister-to-minister talks between the two countries in more than two years.

Albanese has acknowledged some improvements in the bilateral relationship, but is demanding China lift a series of formal and informal sanctions on Australian exports as a gesture of goodwill.

“China, already there have been some improvements. But there’s a long way to go. It will be a problematic relationship,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp on Thursday.

Xiao said there was still time for the two countries to mend relations so that both could celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties on Dec. 21.

“Personally, I am still optimistic,” Xiao said.

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