SYDNEY -- Australia's former ambassador to China places much of the blame for persistent tensions with Beijing on a failure of Australian diplomacy, threatening economic ties with his country's largest trade partner and fellow member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade pact.
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Australia has "irritated" Beijing and caused it to "lose face," according to Canberra's former ambassador, who also says the spat shows "economic coercion is an important part of [China's] statecraft." © Reuters
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