The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP

Deputy Leader of the Opposition

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development 

Australia’s relationship with China

27 FEBRUARY 2014

CANBERRA

Today, a Senate committee hearing revealed just how poorly the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is managing Australia’s relationship with China.

When Julie Bishop visited Beijing last year, she earned a scathing public rebuke from the Chinese Government about her actions as Foreign Minister. Chinese Foreign Minister Mr Wang Yi went so far as to state that Julie Bishop had ''jeopardised bilateral mutual trust and affected the sound growth of bilateral relations.''

Under questioning at the hearing today, the foreign affairs department’s North Asia division chief admitted the public rebuke of Julie Bishop was like nothing he’d ever seen in his 30 years as a diplomat.

This extraordinary evidence from one of Australia’s most senior diplomats shows Julie Bishop’s diplomatic missteps are damaging our significant international relationships.