Only hawks are unhappy as China relations stabilise

News Snapshot:

Sure, it’s begrudgingly acknowledged that under the Albanese government’s watch, trade restrictions have mostly been removed, and Australians detained in China like Cheng Lei are now back home. But, according to the hawks, such foreign policy “wins” don’t owe to Labor’s superior diplomatic approach. Rather, Beijing simply came to understand that its previous hardline tactics weren’t working and so reversed course. All these claims and assessments strain credibility. The Australian public are firmly behind the change in approach that the Albanese government has championed. If the goal of “stabilisation” is misguided, it’s curious that senior Biden administration officials have taken...