Chinese Perth control: Beijing urges Australia to block establishment of an unofficial Taiwan consulate in WA

Perth is at the centre of an international diplomatic stoush as Beijing urges the Albanese Government to block Taiwan from setting up an unofficial consular presence in WA. The West Australian can reveal Taiwan has submitted a proposal to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to establish a trade office in Perth, but the move is being strongly opposed by China’s embassy in Canberra.

WA’s international strategic importance is growing significantly as Washington deepens co-operation on critical minerals and prepares to rotate submarines out of HMAS Stirling as part of the AUKUS partnership.

Under the long-standing One China policy, Taiwan does not enjoy formal diplomatic relations with Australia, but its interests are represented here by an unofficial embassy known as the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Canberra confirmed to The West Australian that earlier this year it submitted its proposal for an additional office in Perth, along with its existing consulates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

“Taiwan interacts with other nations and engages in a variety of international activities,” a spokesperson said.

“We value our enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with Australia and will continue working with like-minded partners to contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.”

Chinese government sources have confirmed to The West Australian that representatives in Canberra launched a formal protest earlier this year with DFAT to oppose Taiwan’s proposed Perth office.

“The Federal Government must realise that the issue of Taiwan is the most sensitive matter between both our countries, and Australia must strictly adhere to the principles of the One China policy,” a Chinese official said speaking on the condition of anonymity.

DFAT has declined to comment on if the Taiwanese proposal for a fourth office in Perth is likely to be approved, or whether it will be blocked in line with China’s demands.

“Australia values our deep and productive unofficial relationship with Taiwan, including through engagement with Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (TECO) in Australia,” a DFAT spokesperson said.

“In pursuing these ties with Taiwan, Australia adheres consistently to our long-standing, bipartisan one-China policy.”

Foreign policy expert Charles Lyons-Jones says it’s important that the Federal Government resists any attempt by China to interfere with Australia’s informal interactions with Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China (ROC).

“Under our sovereign ‘one China policy’, Australia recognises the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and merely acknowledges the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is a part of China.”

“Adopting this position meant that Australia formally withdrew diplomatic recognition of the Republic of China on Taiwan in 1972,” the Lowy Institute expert explained.

“Given these policy settings, neither Australia nor Taiwan have official diplomatic missions in their respective jurisdictions. What they have instead are unofficial ‘offices’ that help foster connections across the commercial, cultural and educational spheres of our two societies.

“That said, only the Australian Federal Government is required to adhere to the ‘one China policy’. As we are a liberal democracy, Australian citizens or organisations which hold no official status in the Australian federal government are free to choose how they engage with Taiwan.

“Attempts by China to stymie these interactions are likely to be seen by the Australian federal government as illegitimate foreign interference in our society — and ought to be resisted vigorously.”

Last month The West Australian revealed Chinese officials were accused of harassing and intimidating pro-democracy activists who gathered in Perth for a nighttime vigil to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Organisers of the June 4 event claimed the alleged foreign interference by the local consulate even included the family of one participant being threatened by police back in China.

China’s embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The West Australian about the incident last month, or about the Taiwanese proposal for a new Perth office.

For decades China and WA have forged deep economic ties, and during the peak of the mining boom in 2012, close to 70 per cent of Australia’s exports to the Asian superpower came from the state.

In April 2023, then Premier Mark McGowan led an historic trade mission to Beijing, three years after diplomatic relations between Australia and China hit a new low following the Morrison government’s demand for an international inquiry into the origins of COVID.