Taipei, March 26 (CNA) Australia's representative office in Taiwan declined to comment Friday on an Australian newspaper report that said Canberra was blocking ministerial officials from visiting Taiwan.
Greg Sheridan, a columnist of The Australian, wrote in Thursday's "China sends a message, and we tremble and obey" that there had been a policy change in the government of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that blocked ministerial officials from visiting Taiwan.
The Australian Commerce and Industry Office, the country's official representative office in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties, declined to comment on the matter.
According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade rejected the allegation.
"Consistent with the one-China policy, Australia has for many years sent ministers to Taiwan to support Australian trade. In truth these visits also recognise the political achievements of Taiwan, " Sheridan wrote.
However, he also said: "This will be the first time at least since the (Bob) Hawke government (1983-1991) that a whole parliamentary cycle has gone by without such a visit." He also wrote: "A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told him the Rudd government had not made a formal undertaking to Beijing that no minister will visit Taiwan during the first term of the Rudd government. But the spokesperson confirmed that there is no plan for a ministerial visit to Taiwan." According to Kyodo, Sheridan is a long-time critic of China's communist government and has launched angry attacks on Australia's two major political parties over their China policy.
Meanwhile, President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday in Honiara, Solomon Islands -- one of his six stops in a week-long South Pacific trip -- that Australia had changed its view toward Taiwan's effort of forging closer ties with its diplomatic allies in the region.
Ma said that Australia, which once criticized Taiwan for its checkbook diplomacy and interference of local elections in the South Pacific, was no longer on alert for "evil-doing" by Taiwan because the country is offering aid in the right way.
The Australian Commerce and Industry Office declined to comment on Ma's remarks. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc