Australia says it has “no intention of injuring” its relationship with China following two days of talks with US officials aimed at hardening its stance against Beijing.
The comments from Marise Payne, Australia’s foreign minister, underlined the uphill task faced by the Trump administration as it seeks to cajole and coerce a coalition of allies to take a harder line on China.
While Linda Reynolds, Australia’s defence minister, vowed to deepen defence co-operation with the US, she also stopped short of committing to more aggressive so-called freedom of navigation exercises closer to disputed islands built by China in the South China Sea. China is Australia’s biggest trading partner.
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