HMAS Toowoomba incident reignites tensions in Australia–China relations

The relationship with China is crucial, with implications for Australia’s standing and global perceptions of its alliances and intentions.

Last week, an incident involving the HMAS Toowoomba in the East China Sea has once again pushed Australia’s relationship with China into the spotlight. While the exact details of the incident remain unclear, enough information has surfaced to fuel anti-China sentiments and provide the Liberal Party with an opportunity to ramp up national security concerns and play the race card, yet again. This episode has become another chapter in the ongoing saga of Australia–China relations, playing out against the backdrop of the diplomatic repair work led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong.

Over the past 18 months, Senator Wong has been worked to mend ties with China, aimed at reversing the fallout from accusations made by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton, where they accused China of causing the COVID virus which, in turn, prompted hefty trade sanctions imposed against Australian exporters. Senator Wong’s efforts have been primarily focused on repairing this rift, striving to restore normalcy to economic relations between the two nations.

However, the familiar divide along party lines persists—the Labor Party historically has fostered a co-operative relationship with China, while the Liberal Party remains suspicious, engages in xenophobia and seizes every opportunity to challenge the Labor government on matters of national security. It’s a predictable and hostile pattern that suggests that the political tactics employed by the Liberal Party is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

The rhetoric from leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, is aimed at taking Australia back to a bygone era of the 1950s, when language used to discuss China at the time was based on racist tropes and contained an endless threat of communism during the Cold War era, and Dutton seems to have a desire to return to an era when ideological lines were more clearly drawn.

This regressive stance becomes even more perplexing against the backdrop of recent diplomatic achievements: there have been great efforts to normalise relations with China, after the many issues caused by the Coalition during their latter time in office between the years of 2017–22, but it’s evident that Dutton wants to portray himself as the “can-do guy”, who can stand up to a superpower, irrespective of the domestic problems it may cause.

There is a disconnect in how the Liberal Party approaches its international relationships—seemingly overlooking the diplomatic issues Australia has with the United States and promoting a sycophantic stance, while adopting a confrontational stance toward China, despite the significant economic consequences and disruption to trade relationships.

There are still many questions about the HMAS Toowoomba’s presence do close to the China border and while it is presumed to have been there legally and validly under UN authority, doubts linger, underscoring the delicate nature of Australia’s military posture in the region. The careful navigation of these geopolitical waters is crucial, with implications not only for Australia’s standing but for global perceptions of its alliances and intentions.