Opinion | As relations with Beijing sour, what’s behind Australia’s tougher stance on the South China Sea?

Canberra’s recent rejection of Beijing’s South China Sea claims appears to be based more on its efforts to maintain a US-led regional order, given that Sino-Australia relations have been experiencing an unprecedented cold snap

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 9:45am, 3 Aug 2020Updated: 9:52am, 3 Aug 2020

On July 13, the US State Department issued a tough statement on the South China Sea issue, denying China's claims. Then, on July 22, the United States ordered China to cease all operations at its consulate in Houston. China responded in kind and ordered the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu.

These episodes illustrate the deteriorating relations between the two countries, which have led many scholars and commentators to worry about a “new cold war” between China and the US.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Australia – an important ally of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region – submitted a statement to the United Nations secretary general on July 23, saying that it rejected any claims, including “historic rights” or “maritime rights and interests” in the South China Sea by China that are inconsistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In the history of exchanges between China and Australia, this was probably Canberra’s toughest diplomatic statement towards China following the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972.

While almost everyone has been focusing on deteriorating Sino-US relations, Sino-Australia relations have in fact also been experiencing an unprecedented cold snap.

In the statement to the UN, Australia said there was no legal basis for China to draw straight baselines around the offshore archipelagos in the South China Sea. As a non-claimant and extraterritorial country, Australia has long been concerned about freedom of navigation and peace and stability in the South China Sea, keeping a low-key profile and neutral attitude.

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