Australia wants deeper energy ties to help Taiwan decarbonise, amid China tensions

The Australian authorities says it wants to assistance Taiwan decarbonise its economy, flagging this arsenic the adjacent country of practice with the democratically ruled island, amid ongoing tensions with China.

The commercialized minister, Dan Tehan, said helium saw “real opportunities” to deepen vigor ties with Taiwan, portion arguing determination was bipartisan designation successful Australia of “the greater assertiveness that we’re seeing from China”.

Tehan besides confirmed helium had been alert of the erstwhile premier curate Tony Abbott’s program to question to Taiwan anterior to his departure, but reiterated that “all the comments helium made implicit determination were precise overmuch arsenic a backstage citizen”.

China’s overseas ministry lodged a ceremonial protestation with Australia implicit what it called the “extremely absurd” and “selfish” remarks by Abbott, who had warned that Beijing mightiness “disastrously lash out” and that the US and Australia could not basal idly by.

Taiwan has signalled its involvement successful pursuing a bilateral commercialized woody with Australia, successful summation to its propulsion to articulation a cardinal determination commercialized pact, with its typical successful Canberra presenting it arsenic a “trustworthy spouse for Australia”.

In an interrogation with Guardian Australia this week, Tehan did not regularisation retired a bilateral statement with Taiwan, but suggested Australia already had “a lot” connected its sheet erstwhile it came to commercialized negotiations, including finalising the UK and the EU deals.

“We already person a precise beardown economical concern with Taiwan and the country that we spot adjacent that we would privation to advancement is astir the vigor concern and seeing what we tin bash successful peculiar to assistance arsenic Taiwan looks to decarbonise implicit time,” Tehan said.

“We spot existent opportunities erstwhile it comes to LNG, erstwhile it comes to liquid hydrogen, and erstwhile it comes to renewables technology, and that’s the country that we’re focused connected astatine the moment.”

Taiwan has outlined plans to make 20% of its vigor from renewable sources by 2025, up from 5% successful 2020, including a important absorption connected offshore upwind power.

The Australian authorities – which has been resisting calls to fortify its 2030 emissions simplification people and is yet to scope a woody for a mid-century nett zero people – has alternatively declared a absorption connected “technology”.

It has already signed deals with partners including Germany and Japan to cooperate connected low-emission exertion and hydrogen. Local media successful Taiwan said the Australian bureau successful Taipei had precocious hosted a hydrogen commercialized and concern event.

Under Australia’s one-China policy, it does not recognise Taiwan arsenic a state successful the planetary strategy but pursues practice with the land successful areas specified arsenic trade, civilization and education.

Both China and Taiwan person said they privation to articulation the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which presently has 11 members including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore.

Tehan said introduction into the CPTPP would beryllium connected the “ability to conscionable the golden modular rules”.

“Whether it’s China, Taiwan oregon immoderate different economies slash countries that privation to accede, yet volition beryllium up to the rank and you request statement amongst each the members arsenic to who volition accede and who won’t,” helium said.

This week, Australian officials astatine the World Trade Organization accused Beijing of rolling retired politically motivated commercialized actions against “a wide scope of Australian products” implicit the past 18 months, including barley, coal, fabric and wine.

The Australian authorities said Beijing’s actions had “increasingly tested planetary commercialized rules and norms” and accrued the hazard of doing concern with China.

Asked whether helium believed the narration with Australia’s apical trading spouse had moved into a permanently adversarial phase, Tehan said: “Look, I anticipation not.”

He argued radical successful Australia and China had benefited from commercialized and “there’s a batch that we should beryllium capable to enactment successful communal on”.

Tehan said helium inactive had not heard backmost from his Chinese counterpart, 9 months aft writing to the commerce minister, Wang Wentao, requesting dialogue. “We cognize that the missive was delivered,” helium said.

“We’re present patiently waiting to spot whether we’ll get a response.”

In an implicit connection against politicising nationalist information and overseas affairs earlier Australia’s looming national election, Tehan said: “The much that we tin marque definite that we’re agreed politically successful however we tackle these existent strategical issues, I deliberation the amended it is for america arsenic a nation.”

The tensions with China person sparked renewed calls for Australia to diversify its trading relationships.

Tehan – who visited New Delhi successful precocious September connected his mode to Europe – said Australia and India were readying for an “early harvest” commercialized woody by the extremity of this year, laying the foundations for a much broad statement by the extremity of 2022.

He acknowledged Australia’s propulsion for entree for cultivation exports to India presented “obvious sensitivities” truthful Canberra needed to marque definite “that our expectations are reasonable”.