After 50 years, the relationship between China and Australia stands as a signature example of how two very different countries can pursue peace and economic interdependence. Leaders with foresight envisaged that the peoples of the two countries with vastly different historical experiences could, and indeed must, find ways to cooperate. There are lessons to draw from this about focusing on building peace and investing in stability, rather than being drawn into imagined “great games”. If we irrationally imagine we are “destined for war”, then we risk turning false assumptions into reality. The stakes were raised when the US declared it was in strategic competition with China amid other security, health and economic crises around the world.
Australia, as a security partner of the US and economic partner of China, was imagined by some to be on an inevitable path to choose one over the other. When the dust settles on disputes or disagreements, we must return to finding common interests – that is how good neighbours settle problems. The 50th anniversary of Sino-Australian diplomatic ties is an apt time to take stock of what has worked and what has not at a state-to-state level. Failure to address global warming would be catastrophic for Australia, China and all of the other countries in the region. Only by working together can the two countries help achieve a much-needed green deal for the Asia-Pacific region.
