BriefingAsia-Pacific

Australia’s Rudd Walks a Fine Line in Relations with China

Australia’s Rudd Walks a Fine Line in Relations with China

MELBOURNE -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will attend the opening ceremony of August's Olympic Games in China, a move seen by some as a victory for economic common sense in bolstering relations with this country's largest trading partner.

But his decision is again highlighting the double standards Australia risks espousing on human rights and raising concerns over how his team has managed perceptions of his new government's relationship with China.

Rudd's decision came just days ahead of Australia-based Rio Tinto announcing a massive rise in iron prices after signing a deal Monday with China's Baosteel. Prices will almost double, the biggest jump in a decade, adding billions dollars to government coffers over the next 12 months.

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