Australia is keen to mend strained diplomatic and trade ties with China, its biggest trading partner.
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Monday said the administration of Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to improve its strained relations with China but not at the price of losing its dignity.
"The China-Australia trading relationship is ... very important," said Frydenberg to CNBC. "It's mutually beneficial. Our resources have helped underpin China's economic growth and we welcome that."
"At the same time, China has been a very important market for Australia."
China took offense at Australia's advocating the United Nations investigate China's role in creating and spreading the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. It has since levied punitive tariffs on major Australian exports such as wine beef and barley. China has also unofficially banned Australian exports of coal, sugar, lobsters, copper and logs.
Australia responded to the punitive tariffs, which reached an astonishing 212% in the case of wine exports to China, by filing complaints with the World Trade Organization.
Some Australian political leaders also saw the heavy tariffs as China's revenge for Australia's standing-up to China's illegal territorial claims in Asia, and establishing closer military ties with liberal democracies such as Japan and Indonesia to combat Chinese expansionism.
Frydenberg emphasized Australia has a clear sense of its own national interests in security, foreign investments and especially human rights.
"We'll continue to advocate and speak up for Australia's national interest but that shouldn't preclude, again, strong relationships in the region and historically, we've had a very good partnership with China and we'd like to see that continue," he said.
