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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Opinion -> 
The Australia challenge
    2015-12-21  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

    Xu Qinduo

    xuqinduo@gmail.com

    AUSTRALIA has become the second country, after the United States, to challenge China in the South China Sea by military means under the name of freedom of navigation. In response, China issued a meek statement saying, “Countries outside the region should respect other countries’ sovereignty instead of creating trouble.” But a routine statement is far from being enough and the Australia challenge necessitates further work from the Chinese side to rein in the situation in the South China Sea.

    Australia sent a P-3 Orion aircraft a few weeks ago to fly over the South China Sea not exactly for the consideration of its national interests. Nothing about its national security has been potentially at risk. And Australia is not a party to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

    The only reason quoted by Canberra is the much talked-about freedom of navigation. But that’s largely a clumsy excuse created by the United States to set the background for its China-targeted “pivot to Asia” strategy. So far, there has not been a single incident concerning freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Transportation of finished products or raw materials has been safe and sound as usual. No countries in this region have any interest in seeing shipping lines disrupted in any manner, including China, the largest trading nation in the world, whose import and export relies on sea routes.

    Australia is choosing to pick a fight with China mostly to show its loyalty to Washington. Canberra relies heavily on the U.S. for its national security and in return does all it can on behalf of Washington.

    Responding to the revelation of the recent face-off with Chinese military, Canberra attempted to legitimize it as a routine patrol, something they have done for more than 30 years.

    But according to Australia media group Fairfax Media, the “tempo of such flights has been deliberately increased.”

    Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, commented, “Nothing is routine” and “even the routine takes on a higher profile” nowadays.

    The Australian adventure creates problems for China and Beijing is now forced to respond forcefully to reduce the ramifications of the Australia challenge.

    Seeing no consequence out of its provocation, Canberra said it will continue with its controversial flying close or above the Chinese islands under construction in the Nansha Islands.

    What would also be troublesome for Beijing is the bad example set by Canberra, which may prompt other countries to take similar risks to challenge China. If the situation goes unchecked, the South China Sea could become a sea of military contest.

    Given its long history, China tends to view relationships with other countries in long terms and is reluctant to allow a single incident to define its ties with another country. As with Australia, Beijing puts emphasis on the overall stability of bilateral ties, in particular at a time when the hard-won Free Trade Agreement came into effect yesterday.

    

    But there’s danger in following that benign approach toward Canberra, as Beijing might be regarded as “being weak,” daring not to fend off the harassment in a potent manner.

    In 2009, a vice premier decided to pay a visit to Australia when bilateral ties were strained by a series of incidents such as the Rio Tinto disputes, Rebiya Kadeer’s visit and Australia’s unfriendly Defense White Paper. But the visit, instead of being appreciated as an effort to put bilateral ties back on track, was interpreted as Chinese surrender. Wikileaks later revealed that a senior Australian foreign affairs official, Graham Fletcher, told the U.S. embassy, “We’ve learned we can make them blink.”

    Therefore, goodwill alone is not enough to forge a strong relationship with Australia. China needs to draw a line for the Australians when it comes to its national interests.

    Beijing should take the Australia challenge seriously and send Canberra a clear signal about what is tolerable and what is not. Shooting down the Australian plane, as suggested by one newspaper, is not an outcome China would like to see. But Beijing should make its case to Canberra and make sure that they understand the determination of the Chinese in safeguarding its national interests.

    (The author is a current affairs commentator with China Radio International and a visiting scholar at the University of Melbourne.)

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