China's ambassador to Australia slams speculation of TikTok, surveillance device spying

During a media briefing in China's embassy on Thursday, Ambassador Xiao Qian revealed he had protested to the Albanese government over the removal - on national security grounds - of security cameras and recorders made by companies such as Hikvision and Dahua from departments and agencies, as well as the TikTok ban on any phone or computer used by politicians and public servants.

The ambassador sought to highlight improving relations between the two nations after years of a diplomatic deep freeze with Australia's trading partner, describing 2023 as a "year of exchange and dialogue" for Australia and China.

He insisted TikTok - owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance - was not a dangerous platform and Chinese security devices were just products to help people to monitor.

"Once it's sold, everything is in your hand," the ambassador told reporters.

"It's very unfortunate there are views that these ... either TikTok or WeChat or a CCTV camera could be utilised by the Chinese government to monitor Australia. It's absolutely unfounded."

"Such speculation is absolutely unnecessary. Very unhelpful.

"I hope that the government in Australia would really look at these sorts of issues in an objective way. And we need confidence from both sides. We are comprehensive strategic partners. We have basically trust with each other."

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Mr Xiao's intervention comes after TikTok was banned within the entire US state of Montana, its governor signing legislation prohibiting app stores from offering it within the state from next year.

He pointed to China also importing products from Australia and said a "normal" business environment was to be "open, transparent and inclusive".

"It will be very helpful for Australia to encourage international travel and international visitors who want to come and invest and do business deals with this country," Mr Xiao said.

The ambassador said Australia and China had many differences, but said it didn't mean there couldn't be trust in the relationship.

"Step by step we will put our relationship completely back to the right check, back to normal," he said

Although $20 billion worth of trade bans are still largely in place, he said "momentum is positive" between the two countries and Australia and China can cooperate with "absolute confidence".

Australia's Trade Minister Don Farrell recently returned from talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao. Australian export products such as barley, wine and lobster are still on the table, but despite a "warm" meeting there has yet to be a big breakthrough.

However, the ambassador confirmed on Thursday that China will lift its two year ban on Australian timber log imports, which had been suspended with Beijing citing quarantine risks.

The move has been welcomed by the Australian Forest Products Association.

"China has been and will continue to be an important market for Australian timber and wood fibre export products," chief executive Joel Fitzgibbon said.

"When the ban came into effect more than two years ago it caused a great deal of upheaval and uncertainty for many timber exporters and the broader forest sector and this resolution is welcomed."