China’s envoy to Australia says 2 nations at ‘new juncture’

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — China’s ambassador to Australia says relations between the two countries are at a “new juncture” with the election of a new Australian government and the first minister-to-minister talks in more than two years. Ambassador Xiao Qian gave an upbeat assessment of their relationship potential in a speech Saturday in the city of Perth. On Sunday, China’s defense minister held an hourlong meeting with his Australian counterpart on the sidelines of a regional security summit in Singapore. Despite these steps, observers are wary of describing the meeting in Singapore as a thawing of a diplomatic deep freeze between the countries.