China appoints ‘Asia enforcer’ as ambassador to Australia

China has sent an American-educated “Asia enforcer” to be its new ambassador to Australia, in what diplomatic sources said could signal an aggressive shift in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s thinking.

“Australia is an important country,” incoming Chinese ambassador Liu Jinsong said in a statement overnight.

“Serving as the 16th ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Australia feels like taking the baton in a relay race – a duty that fills me with immense honour and a profound sense of responsibility.”

He went on to praise Australians as having the “same resilient and self-reliant character” as the Chinese, and remarked on how “strikingly familiar” Australia felt when he first visited three decades ago.

“Our two countries carry no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest,” Mr Liu said.

“Our economies are highly complementary, our cultures enrich each other, and our prospects for co-operation are bright.”

However, he added that “managing differences constructively and aligning expectations will be crucial moving forward”.

“President Xi Jinping has devoted immense care and effort to guiding and steering the course of China-Australia relations,” he said.

“As his representative, I will fulfil my duties with unwavering dedication, listen attentively with humility, safeguard China’s national interests, implement the consensus reached by our leaders, serve my fellow Chinese citizens in Australia, and act as a devoted guardian and promoter of the China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”

Diplomatic cables have for weeks heralded Mr Liu’s arrival to Canberra’s tight-knit community of foreign government representatives.

Holding a masters of economics from Tufts University in the US, he has garnered a reputation as a fierce champion of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) goals in Asia over his 33-year career.

“He knows the game in Taiwan, in Hong Kong, in Macao – what (the Chinese government) does overtly and in the grey,” one diplomatic source said.

Speaking to NewsWire on condition of anonymity, they said Mr Liu was an “astute negotiator who knows when to use the carrot and when to use the stick”.

Another described Mr Liu as an “Asia enforcer” often deployed to have “tough conversations”, pointing to an encounter between him and a senior Japanese official captured late last year.