風蕭蕭_Frank
以文會友
Rudd tells Biden he can ease US-China tensions
華盛頓 | 前總理兼澳大利亞新任駐美大使陸克文周三（澳大利亞東部標準時間周四）告訴喬·拜登總統，繼堪培拉最近成功修複與中國的關係後，他希望在努力穩定美中關係方麵發揮作用 北京。
陸克文先生在白宮橢圓形辦公室向拜登先生遞交了全權證書，他說他將與美國政府合作製定政策，以減少南海和該地區其他地區發生危機和衝突的風險。
“如果你每天、每周觀察南海、台灣海峽、東海，我們擔心通過飛機碰撞和船隻碰撞意外引發危機和衝突的可能性，” 陸克文先生說。
“因此，在這種情況下，對我們所有人來說重要的是與我們在華盛頓的朋友和我們在北京的朋友合作，建立外交部長黃英賢所說的戰略護欄。
“我[向總統]提到，我將與他的政府就中國政策問題進行合作。 這幾乎是顯而易見的陳述。”
他還表示，在過去多次批評這位前總統之後，他對唐納德特朗普可能重新掌權並不擔心。 特朗普先生正在尋求共和黨提名，以便在 2024 年競選白宮。
“按照曆屆澳大利亞大使的傳統，我們與各方合作，”陸克文先生說。
“我有一大堆共和黨朋友和一大堆民主黨朋友，他們在外交政策、國家安全政策和經濟領域工作。 所以，現在我非常有信心，這些關係不僅在繼續，而且還在持續和加強。”
隨著華盛頓及其西方盟友抵製中國在該地區的經濟影響力和日益增強的軍事自信，美中之間的緊張關係最近升級。 中國間諜氣球在美國大陸上空墜落等事件加劇了兩國關係的惡化。
陸克文說：“這很難做到，而且由於中國沒有接電話而造成的困難程度，例如，在熱氣球 [事件] 的高峰期幾天。”
在貿易部長 Don Farrell 與北京會麵後，澳大利亞與中國的關係在今年年初開始解凍。
上周，中國證實願意與阿爾巴尼亞政府合作解決葡萄酒和大麥出口的關稅爭端，為取消對澳大利亞價值 200 億美元的貿易製裁鋪平道路。
“美中關係目前的處境，隻是，真的很困難。 老實說吧，”陸克文先生說。
“但美國的朋友和盟友以及那些與中國有長期夥伴關係的人的挑戰和責任是與兩國政府合作，看看我們能做些什麽來幫助穩定美中關係，因為 出色地。
“總理和外交部長邀請我來這裏的原因之一是應對我們所有人麵臨的挑戰——中國崛起帶來的挑戰，以及與我們的盟友美國保持戰略穩定的夥伴關係，同時 穩定我們與北京的關係。”
中國對 AUKUS 表示擔憂——根據該軍事情報共享安排，美國將向澳大利亞海軍提供核動力潛艇，以保衛中國變得更具侵略性的水域。
陸克文表示，實施 AUKUS 將是他在華盛頓的首要任務之一，繼續他的前任 Arthur Sinodinos 的工作。
他拒絕就魯珀特默多克的福克斯公司本周以 7.875 億美元（12 億美元）與投票機製造商 Dominion 就誹謗訴訟達成和解一事發表評論。
“當我擔任澳大利亞駐美國大使時，我放棄了默多克皇家委員會澳大利亞人主席的職位，”他說。
Mr Rudd, who presented his credentials to Mr Biden in the White House Oval Office, said he would work with the US administration on policy to reduce the risk of crisis and conflict in the South China Sea and the rest of the region.
“If you look day to day, week to week in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea, we are worried about the possibility of crisis and conflict arising by accident, through collision of aircraft and collision of vessels,” Mr Rudd said.
“So under those circumstances, what is important for all of us is to work with our friends in DC, and our friends in Beijing on building what Foreign Minister Penny Wong calls strategic guardrails.
“I mentioned [to the President] that I’d be working with his administration on China policy questions. That’s almost a statement of the obvious.”
He also said he was unfazed by the possible return of Donald Trump to power, after repeatedly criticising the former president in the past. Mr Trump is seeking the Republican nomination to run for the White House in 2024.
“In the tradition of all previous Australian ambassadors, we work with all sides,” Mr Rudd said.
“I have bucket loads of Republican friends and bucket loads of Democratic friends, working in foreign policy, national security policy, and the economy. So, I’m pretty confident now those relationships have not only continued but have been sustained and strengthened.”
Tensions between the US and China have escalated recently as Washington and its Western allies push back against China’s economic influence and growing military assertiveness in the region. Deteriorating relations have been exacerbated by incidents such as the downing of a Chinese spy balloon over mainland America.
“It’s very hard to do, and it’s compounded by the degree of difficulty which arises from China not picking up the phone, for example, for several days during the height of the balloons [incident],” Mr Rudd said.
Australia’s own relationship with China started to thaw early this year after Trade Minister Don Farrell secured meetings with Beijing.
Last week China confirmed that it was willing to work with the Albanese government to resolve tariff disputes over both wine and barley exports, paving the way for the removal of $20 billion worth of trade sanctions against Australia.
“Where the US-China relationship stands at the moment, it’s just, it’s really difficult. Let’s be honest about it,” Mr Rudd said.
“But the challenge and responsibility of friends and allies of the United States, and those who have long-standing partnerships with China, is to work with both governments to see what we can do to assist in the stabilisation of the US-China relationship as well.
“One of the reasons the prime minister and foreign minister asked me to come here was to deal with the challenge we all face – the challenge presented by China’s rise and maintaining strategic stability in partnership with our ally the United States, while at the same time stabilising our relationship with Beijing.”
China has raised concerns about AUKUS – the military intelligence-sharing arrangement under which the US will provide nuclear-powered submarines to the Australia navy to defend waters where China has become more aggressive.
Mr Rudd said implementing AUKUS would be one of his top priorities in Washington, continuing the work of his predecessor Arthur Sinodinos.
He declined to comment on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation settling a defamation lawsuit this week with voting machine maker Dominion for $US787.5 million ($1.2 billion).
“When I took on this position as ambassador for Australia to the United States, I relinquished my position as chair of Australians for a Murdoch Royal Commission,” he said.
