Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he won't be conceding points to China in order to secure a meeting with his counterpart, President Xi Jinping, but is open to support from former prime ministers John Howard and Kevin Rudd.
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It comes as the latest trade figures show 22 per cent growth in December's export value to China despite its tariffs on Australian wine and barley, and restrictions on coal, timber, cotton, meat and seafood.
Mr Morrison said he had already connected with the former prime ministers Mr Howard and Mr Rudd for advice about the relationship with China, saying they were both every experienced in that area.
It follows calls from Labor Leader Anthony Albanese to bring in the former prime ministers to assist with a diplomatic reset after tensions and trade disputes heightened in December.
His government has been unable to set up a phone call between any senior minister and their Chinese counterpart since Australia initiated a World Trade Organisation arbitration over China's 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley. Mr Morrison said he was open to future dialogue.
"But those discussions, as I've made clear, won't take place on the base of any sort of pre-emptive concessions on Australia's part on those matters," Mr Morrison told reporters on Monday. "I don't think that any Australian would want their Prime Minister to be conceding the points that they've set out."
Mr Morrison said the relationship was valuable to both Australia and China, and his government would be taking up whatever opportunities would help advance that relationship without sacrificing Australia's sovereignty.
Mr Albanese told reporters on Monday that he sent a letter to the prime minister suggesting he engage with Mr Rudd and Mr Howard due to the previous significant relationships with China.
"It's very clear that when Australian jobs in industries as diverse as wine, education, the timber industry, coal and other exports are under threat because of what has occurred with the breakdown in the relationship," Mr Albanese said.
He said China was to blame for breaking down the relationship.
"But you need to find a way through, and I think that it is very sensible to engage former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and John Howard. That is suggestions that have come to me from senior people in the business community, as well as people in the union movement who have been worried about jobs."
Exports to China have continued to grow despite the tariffs and restrictions since December. The latest December figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the 21 per cent growth primarily came from iron ore and cereal, ending a halt on wheat exports to China since August.
Around $2 billion growth in iron ore exports was driven by increased iron ore prices as well as 15 per cent increase in quantity.
Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
