Australian Associated Press
theguardian.com, Thursday 28 November 2013
Foreign minister Julie Bishop denies overstepping the mark in her criticism of China’s new air defence zone
A Japanese aircraft flies over the disputed Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China. Australia has criticised China's decision to impose an air-defence zone in the East China Sea. Photograph: AP
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten says the Abbott government has had a "rocky start" to foreign affairs after China emerged as a new diplomatic hotspot.
Foreign minister Julie Bishop is standing by her criticism of China's decision to impose an air-defence zone in the East China Sea without warning or consultation.
Her initial comments drew a sharp rebuke from China but she denies she overstepped the mark.
"This is long-standing Australian policy to oppose any unilateral or coercive action by any country that could add to the tensions that currently exist in the East China Sea," Bishop told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.
She confirmed that China called in a senior Australian diplomat in Beijing to explain Bishop's comments.
"It's part of the ongoing discussion about our concerns over this issue," she said.
Shorten says the government must handle foreign affairs competently.
"I think it's fair to say the federal government has a number of spot fires which have emerged," he told reporters in Canberra.
"We accept that they've had a rocky start in foreign affairs, we want them to get it right."
But Shorten wouldn't say whether he believed Bishop was right to criticise China's actions, saying he did not intend to "coach the government from the grandstand".
Bishop said Australia was not taking sides in China's territorial dispute with Japan, and was not the only country to express concerns about China's actions.
She expects to discuss the matter with Beijing when she travels there soon.
She also said she doesn't believe the disagreement will impact on the Abbott government's hopes to secure a free trade agreement with China next year.
Treasurer Joe Hockey backed that assessment and said Bishop had done "exactly the right thing" by criticising China.
Chinese ambassador to Australia Ma Zhaoxu issued a statement overnight criticising the federal government's "finger-pointing" and defending Beijing's actions.
"The move is aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and security of territory and territorial airspace and maintaining the order of flight," he said.
"It is not directed against any specific country or target. China does not accept Australia's groundless accusations."
China urges Australia to observe its promise of not taking sides on disputes of territorial sovereignty "to avoid damage to the co-operative relations between the two countries".
