Work with us in Pacific, Belt and Road: China

Australia, China and the US can cooperate in the South Pacific on big data and in artificial intelligence, according to a visiting senior Chinese policy adviser, while encouraging Western Australia to get involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Chinese Institute of International Studies president Qi Zhenhong said Australia need not choose between China and the US.

“China and Australia have no contradictions or conflicts in history,” Mr Qi said in a media briefing yesterday.

“The two countries have common interests in this region, bilaterally and globally.

‘We know there are some problems between China and Australia currently, i believe those problems can be resolved.

“Australia (does not need) to be confused to choose China or the US.

“There’s no need to take sides.

“In the US, some people are worrying China might challenge the US, replace the US on the global stage.

“What I want to say is you're too worried about this.”

Mr Qi said he understood some Australians did not trust China, and there was an element of fear.

“To be frank, I don’t know what’s the reason,” he said.

Opportunities

The antidote to the suspicion would be to work together in technology and international projects, Mr Qi said.

Many in Australia’s foreign policy establishment have been cautious about China’s growing presence in the South Pacific.

Chinese entities are taking up positions in countries such as the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, and in October China sent a big contingent to an economic forum in Samoa.

The Australian response was a $2 billion infrastructure package in 2018, and a further $500 million to fight climate change in August 2019.

A CNN report in July said China had committed $5.7 billion in the Pacific in the six years to 2017, although much has not yet been spent.

Australia spent $6.3 billion in that period.

The concern is that extended Chinese influence will have implications in international bodies, such as the United Nations, while also potentially grabbing strategic assets across waterways vital to connect Australia to the US.

Mr Qi said the US, China and Australia should work together in the South Pacific to build mutual trust.

He said this would have a positive impact on the economic and social development of the region.

Similarly, Mr Qi encouraged WA to be involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, a program to build infrastructure links across Asia, Europe and Africa.

Victoria signed a deal with China’s National Development and Reform Commission to contribute to the program in 2018.

“When I was in Melbourne I talked to the Victorian state officers, they told me they'd benefitted from the BRI memorandum of understanding,” Mr Qi said.

A further deal was signed in October.

In WA. the Chinese Institute of International Studies had been spruiking the benefits of the program to supporters, politicians and government officials.

Australia and China have clashed in recent years over technology, with the Turnbull government in 2018 banning the involvement of Chinese company Huawei in supplying equipment for building 5G Telecommunications networks in Australia.

Mr Qi said in the era of big data, Australia and China could work together on cloud computing and artificial intelligence projects.

The Chinese people had been confused by Australia’s decision on Huawei, he said.