驻澳大利亚大使肖千在澳主流媒体发表署名文章强调“中澳是友非敌”

2025年6月30日，驻澳大利亚大使肖千在澳主流媒体《澳人报》评论版发表题为《中澳是友非敌，这不应是个问题》的署名文章，严正驳斥部分国家翻炒所谓“中国威胁论”，指出这背后是部分国家维系自身霸权的考量，充斥冷战思维，明目张胆制造分裂，威胁世界和平稳定。文章强调，中国历来都是世界和平的坚定支持者、维护者和推动者。中澳是友非敌，这从来不应成为问题。中方愿同澳方一道努力，共同捍卫以联合国为核心的国际体系和以国际法为基础的国际秩序，为维护世界和平与安全作出积极贡献。全文如下：

近期，部分国家在香格里拉对话会、七国集团峰会、北约峰会等场合翻炒所谓“中国威胁论”，决定大幅提升国防开支，甚至还煽动澳大利亚跟随。这些言行充斥着冷战思维， 明目张胆制造分裂，挑动全球军备竞赛，威胁世界和平稳定，值得我们高度警惕。

这些国家渲染国际地区紧张局势，诋毁中国正常军力建设，无非是为自己大幅增加军费、肆意越界扩权找借口。2024 年，北约成员国军费已经占到全球军费总开支的55%，却还要求成员国将军费大幅提升至本国GDP的5%，声称要建立“更具杀伤力”北约。 

所谓的“中国威胁论”背后是部分国家维系自身霸权的考量。他们固步自封，畏惧公平竞争，见不得别人进步。为此，他们要遏制像中国这样的国家发展进步，以继续靠霸权掠夺全世界，顺带向背后的金主输血。这违背公平正义和世界发展大势。良性竞争才是世界发展、文明进步的必由之路， 这早已是全世界的共识。 

大幅提高军费极大增加了相关国家财政负担，损害各国提振经济、改善民生的努力，让本就使复苏乏力的世界经济更加举步维艰。有些国家得了病，却要“盟伴”花钱买药， 这听起来有些可笑。是向“盟主”采购军火、输血、凑份子， 还是回应本国民众发展经济的呼声，对“盟伴”是一个艰难的选择。 

坦率讲，这已不是中国首次被“碰瓷”。近些年来，个别国家纠集所谓“盟伴”轮番诋毁中国，反复吟唱所谓“中国崩溃论”、“中国威胁论”、“中国见顶论”，甚至对中国经济遏压与技术封锁并用。然而，他们煞费苦心破坏国际规则秩序的唯一成果就是，这些年来全球经济停滞、科技创新放缓、地区形势更加动荡不安。在一次次风雨中，中国经济展现出强大韧性，人民生活水平不断提高。 

中国历来都是世界和平的坚定支持者、维护者和推动者。600多年前，郑和七下西洋，带去的只有丝绸、瓷器、贸易和友谊。新中国成立之初，我们就提出了和平共处五项原则。70多年来，中国从未主动挑起一场战争，从未侵占别国一寸土地。中国是世界上唯一将和平发展写入宪法的大国，更是核武器国家中唯一一个承诺不首先使用核武器的国家。中国始终不渝奉行防御性国防政策，国防开支占比仅为GDP的1.5%，远低于世界平均水平，更无法望某些“霸主”及其“盟伴”项背。

在和平与安全问题上，中国是记录最好的大国。近年来，习近平主席审视全球百年未有之大变局，先后提出全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议，倡导全球共同发展、共享安全、共话文明，再次为世界和平与发展贡献了中国智慧、中国方案、中国力量。

中澳互为重要经贸伙伴，两国经济结构高度互补。澳丰富的能矿资源、独具特色的农产品等，在中国找到了14亿人口的超大规模市场。中国的工业制成品质优价廉，增加了澳购买力，丰富了澳民众生活。中澳两国社会制度不同，对部分问题看法可能有分歧。但两国没有历史恩怨纠缠，没有根本利益冲突。我们共同分享同一条贸易航线，没有谁比中国这样的贸易大国更希望维护海上航线安全。有分歧可以沟通，但不应影响两国友好。正如我时常听到澳友人说的那样， 我们有一百个理由成为朋友，没有一个理由成为敌人。 

今年是世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年和联合国成立80 周年。作为战后国际秩序共同的建设者和维护者，中方愿同澳方一道努力，共同捍卫以联合国为核心的国际体系和以国际法为基础的国际秩序，为维护世界和平与安全作出积极贡献。 

中澳是友非敌，这从来不应成为问题。中方始终怀着最大的诚意和耐心推进两国友好合作，期待澳方相向而行。

全文链接：https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/dont-fall-for-natos-hypedup-rhetoric-on-defence-spending/news-story/97734d213b3b1e44a644d167bc317ed9

Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian Publishes an Article on an Australian Masthead to Emphasize “China and Australia 

are friends not foes” 

On June 30th, 2025, the Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian published an article entitled “China and Australia are friends, not foes: This should never have been in question” in the Australian, strongly refuting that recently some countries hyping up the so-called “China threat”, pointing out that this is certain countries’ desire to maintain their hegemony which is steeped in Cold War mentality, blatantly creating division as well as threatening world peace and stability. He highlights that China has always been a steadfast supporter, defender, and promoter of world peace. China and Australia are friends, not foes. This should never have been in question. China stands ready to work with Australia to jointly uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on the international law, thus making positive contributions to global peace and security.

The full text is as follows and can be accessed via https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/dont-fall-for-natos-hypedup-rhetoric-on-defence-spending/news-story/97734d213b3b1e44a644d167bc317ed9.

Recently, some countries hyped up the so-called “China threat” narrative on such occasions as the Shangri-La Dialogue, G7 Summit, and NATO Summit, proclaiming to significantly increase defense expenditures, and even incited Australia to follow suit. Such rhetoric and actions are steeped in Cold War mentality, blatantly creating division, fueling a global arms race as well as threatening world peace and stability, which warrants our high vigilance.

By playing up international and regional tensions and slandering China’s normal military buildup, these countries are merely seeking nothing but excuses to drastically grow their military spending, even arbitrarily reach beyond its geographical scope and mandate. In 2024, NATO countries already account for 55 percent of the world’s total military spending in 2024. Yet they are still required to raise defense investment to 5 percent of GDP to build a “more lethal NATO”.

Behind the so-called “China threat” lies certain countries’ desire to maintain their hegemony. They are trapped in their own inertia, fear fair competition, and even cannot tolerate other countries from making progress. To this end, they seek to stifle the development and advancement of countries like China, so that they can continue plundering the world through hegemony while funneling benefits to their backers. This runs counter to fairness, justice, and the prevailing trend of global development. Healthy competition is the only path toward world progress and civilization advancement, a consensus long held by the international community.

Dramatically increasing military spending places a heavy fiscal burden on the countries involved, undermining their efforts to boost economies and improve livelihoods, and further straining a global economy already struggling with weak recovery. Some countries are ailing yet demand their “allies and partners” foot the bill for medicine, which seems be an almost laughable notion. Whether to spend on arms purchases, handouts to the “hegemon”, or pooling funds for its sake, or to heed their own people’s calls for economic development, is now a difficult choice for these “allies and partners”.

To be frank, this is not the first time China has been labeled and targeted at. In recent years, a handful of countries have rallied so-called “allies and partners” to repeatedly smear China, peddling narratives like the “China collapse”, “China threat” and even “Peak China”, while simultaneously imposing economic suppression and technological blockades. Yet the only tangible outcome of their painstaking efforts to undermine international rules and order has been global economic stagnation, slower technological innovation, and heightened regional instability. Facing these smears and containment, China’s economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience, and the living standards of the Chinese people have continued to rise.

China has always been a steadfast supporter, defender, and promoter of world peace. More than 600 years ago, Zheng He’s seven voyages to the Western Seas carried only silk, porcelain, trade, and friendship. Shortly after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it put forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Over the past 70-plus years, China has never initiated a war or occupied an inch of a foreign land. It is the only country that has incorporated peaceful development in its Constitution, and the only country among the nuclear-weapon states to pledge no first use of nuclear weapons. China unwaveringly adheres to a defensive national defense policy, with military spending accounting for just 1.5% of its GDP. It is far below the global average and paling in comparison to certain “hegemons” or their “allies and partners”.

On peace and security, China has the best track record among major countries. In recent years, having observed the profound shifts unseen in a century, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), advocating for shared global development, collective security, and dialogue among civilizations. China has once again contributed its wisdom, solutions, and strength to world peace and development.

China and Australia are important economic and trade partners, with highly complementary economic structures. Australia’s abundant energy and mineral resources, along with its distinctive agricultural products, have found a vast market of 1.4 billion consumers in China. Meanwhile, China’s high-quality and affordable manufactured goods have boosted Australians’ purchasing power and enriched their lives. Although our two nations have different social systems and may hold differing views on certain issues, we share no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest. We rely on the same trade routes, and no country—especially a major trading nation like China—has a greater stake in safeguarding maritime security. Differences can be addressed through dialogue, but they should never undermine our friendship. As I often hear from Australian friends, “we have hundreds of reasons to be friends, and none to be enemies”.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and of the founding of the United Nations. As builders and defenders of the post-war international order, China stands ready to work with Australia to jointly uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on the international law, thus making positive contributions to global peace and security.

China and Australia are friends, not foes. This should never have been in question. China has been always developing bilateral friendship and cooperation with the utmost sincerity and patience, and we hope Australia will work with us in the same direction.