‘Never smooth sailing’: The hard fact at core of Australia -China ties
From resources booms to iron wars and Olympic highs to detentions, the Canberra-Beijing relationship has “never been smooth sailing”. But there’s one thing that keeps it going.
Julie Bishop, then foreign minister, and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, sat staring at each other in silence over dinner for an hour. It was December 2013 and their frosty meeting signalled an ominous change in what were usually cordial meetings between Australian and Chinese officials.
Michael SmithHealth editorMichael Smith is the health editor for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com
Lisa MurrayEnterprise Journalism EditorLisa Murray is Enterprise Journalism Editor and host of The Fin podcast. Connect with Lisa on Twitter. Email Lisa at lmurray@afr.com