Thread by @stephendziedzic

I'm at the @PressClubAust for the keenly awaited speech from the Chinese Embassy's deputy head of mission, Wang Xining. Will be live tweeting.

Wang Xining opens by describing the rapid growth of Australia-China trade ties. He says in the last 20
years "our trade volume has grown from less than 10 billion to 235 billion Australian dollars last year" 2/

Wang acknowledges a "rift" between Australia and China. He says like a marriage, a bilateral relationship needs
"determination and joint effort to make it thrive." He adds: "while a rift between husband and wife hurts one family, a rift between two countries hurts millions" 3/

Wang Xining says he wants to propose four keywords as "principles that may help to maintain and promote a relationship." He says those words are "respect, goodwill, fairness, and vision" 4/

First, respect. The deputy ambassador says both countries should "respect others choice of social and political system and mode of development and refrain from imposing one's own idea onto the other." He says China was bullied in the past and does not bully other countries now 5/

The second principle is goodwill. Wang Xining- "we don't see Australia as a strategic threat. There is no fundamental conflict of interest or historical irritants to be healed." 6/

Wang takes his first whack:warning Australia's ranking on ease of doing business lists could dragged down for "pushing foreign businesses away on account of ill founded and imported assertions of security breaches, IP infringement and forced technology transfer" (hello Huawei) 7/

Now he takes a step back. He says China is embarking on a great rejuvenation which the nation "craves and deserves." Points out that China was for centuries one of the world's largest economies and is on track to become moderately prosperous - an "amazing achievement" 8/

Wang Xining- "China cannot afford to live in the Australian way or in the American way because of different natural endowment, demographic profile and economic status. We do not believe that unbounded materialism is sustainable or that excessive consumerism is ethical" 9/

The DHM says Confucian principles are crucial to Chinese governance and contrasts it to the "Hobbesian" attitudes of unnamed other nations and leaders (presumably Trump) 10/

Finally- "We should not let cold hard and dark mind cast a shadow over our partnership" 11/

Now questions. @SabraLane asks about *that* interview with the Chinese Ambassador where he warned about trade boycotts of Australian trade sectors which have now been targeted by Chinese trade sanctions. But Wang Xining denies any economic coercion. 12/

Wang Xining - "there have been more than a hundred anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases launched by Australian companies" against other countries. He asks whether that should be interpreted as economic coercion 13/

Now he goes back to the source of the Chinese Govt's anger: Australia's push for an independent inquiry into the covid-19 outbreak. He says Australia "never consulted" with China about it, which "lacks the least courtesy and diplomacy" 14/

Wang says he struggles to convey the "intensity of emotion of our people, how much indignation, anger and frustration they expressed" over Australia's push for an inquiry. He implies it was a betrayal. Rather bizarrely he quotes Julius Caesar - "et tu Brutus?!" 15/

Now @CUhlmann asks where the coronavirus pandemic started - if not in China, then where? The DHM doesn't really answer the question, but simply says "I think it is up to the scientists to find out the origin" 16/

Why have Australian ministers been unable to get their Chinese counterparts on the phone for six months? Wang says "under COVID-19 it is not possible to organise face-to-face exchanges between leaders of countries and even senior ministers" (Frankly, this stretches credulity) 17/

Wang Xining says "we are not trying to turn Australia into the People's Republic of China." But he says democracy is a contested word- "we need to ask the people whether you are satisfied with the performance of the system of a government" 18/

Now @andrewtillett asks about the Morrison Govt's decision to block the sale of Lion Dairy to a Chinese company. Relatively restrained answer from the DHM who simply says he hopes Aus provides a fair investment climate and is not swayed by "ill-founded" concerns 19/

Now @bennpackham asks about the arrest in the US of a scientist taking part in China's "Thousand Talents" program. Packham asks if it's an espionage scheme. DHM doesn't really answer the question, stresses the value of joint research- "I would rather see the sunny side" 20/

Packham tries again. DHM does not say if Thousand Talents scientists are not allowed to disclose participation- "it's based on hearsay and gossip. I have no idea about that." 21/

Now @ErykBagshaw asks if China is singling out Australia with trade sanctions/a diplomatic freeze. Slightly confusing answer- "we have made representations with our counterparts in @dfat and other ministries to express our concern ... this is diplomacy. This works out nicely" 22/

Wow. Wang on Confucius Institutes: "I know some people don't like some ideas from China- but it won't affect Australia's own choice of your political and social structure, I don't see any reason for whining about your constitutional fragility, your intellectual vulnerability" 23/

Finally, @vanOnselenP asks *again* why Australian Ministers can't get Chinese counterparts on the phone. Wang implies Australia is not using the correct protocol- "we respect each other. It must be done in a standard diplomatic way." Again, this doesn't really stack up. 24/

And that's about it. Wang Xining dodges a final question on the US election and Trump, before finishing. He is presented (HAH) with a bottle of Australian wine as a present. 25/