In a masterclass on negotiation , Xi Jingping has extracted from Australia's Anthony Albanese tacit recognition of China's right to aggressive enforcement of its illegal claims over the South China Sea

 by Ganesh Sahathevan

In a masterclass on negotiation , Xi Jingping has extracted from Australia's Anthony Albanese tacit acceptance of China's aggressive enforcement  of its  illegal claims over the South China Sea  

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was recently in China where he had private discussions with China's President Xi Jingping. The discussions included lunch, which so  impressed Albanese that he has told Australians that Xi and he now have a relationship based on trust.

Later, speaking to Australian journalists Albanese said:
JOURNALIST: On the security side, did you seek assurances that Australia would be better informed in future about the PLA’s navy in Australian waters? And has China asserted its right to free navigation in those waters?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes to the former. And secondly, in response of course, President Xi said that China engaged in exercises just as Australia engages in exercises.

China has protested Australian Navy joint exercises near the Spratlys.   in an area that is within its Nine (now Ten, possibly  Eleven ) Dash Line which is not recognised in international law, and by the other littoral states ;  Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. . 

Anthony Albanese drawing  equivalence between China's exercises in the Tasman Sea , in an area that is  very proximate to Australia and as the name suggests, usually  policed by Australia and New Zealand)  with Australian exercises near  The Spratlys. has concerned Australians, but it would also concern ASEAN given its tacit recognition of China's right to  aggressive enforcement  of its  illegal claims over the South China Sea . It would also concern Australia's QUAD partners.


That Xi Jinping has managed to extract that recognition out of Albanese, and have him  justify that position to Australian journalists and the Australian public is testament to Xi's skills and brillance as a negotiator, and to Albanese's complete naivety (to put it kindly). 

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