Human rights: From sanctions to delegations to dialogue

Unlike other aspects of the post-1972 Australia-China relationship, the issue of human rights was a latecomer to the negotiating table. It could be described as an unwelcome guest, if not gatecrasher. Between 1949 and 1972, human rights, primarily in the shape of civil and political rights, had been a subterranean issue informing the conduct of Australia’s Cold War policy towards China.1 However, following the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1972, Australia and China battled with considerable success to reorient their relationship away from the mutual hostility of the previous decades. Just as Australia sought to leave the past behind, China attempted to overlook Australia’s support for previous US antiChina policies. To avoid any new sources of friction, Australia only occasionally touched on human rights in confidential discussions with Chinese officials, despite its clearly articulated official policy on the issue in the broader Asia Pacific region.