SYDNEY — A choice between Australia's biggest market, China, and its closest ally, the United States, was hardly a difficult one. The decision made, Canberra now has to reassure Beijing it's business as usual.
The boom-time prosperity Australia is enjoying from its mineral exports, mainly to China, is something that new Prime Minister Julia Gillard is working hard to extend. But having signed a package of deals with Washington ministers for beefed-up military cooperation, she must now ward off Beijing's expected backlash.
That opportunity comes soon in a series of international talks. There, Gillard and her Mandarin-speaking foreign minister, Kevin Rudd, have booked closed-session talks with Beijing delegates with the aim of reassuring China that Australia remains a reliable trade partner/good friend.