The Australia China Joint Communique of December 1972 is the foundational document underpinning bilateral relations ever since. It is not a long document, and at a cursory glance appears quite simple. Recently, however, some commentators have questioned its language and suggested it is ambiguous, particularly concerning our government’s position on the status of Taiwan.

A declassified secret diplomatic cable throws some light on the delicate negotiations that took place in Paris in December 1972, and former ambassador John Burgess has written a detailed account, published in this Journal in 2021. Regarding the language used in the communique, the Department of Foreign Affairs Chinese linguist Charles Lee and his scholarly wife Nancy were expert participants in the talks and addressed the possibility of misunderstandings or ambiguities. Colleagues of the Lees and Nancy’s later students who followed distinguished careers in the Department will attest to their absolute competence. The final agreed document was signed by the Australian Ambassador to France Alan Renouf, who became Secretary of the Department two years later. In an obituary, Cavan Hogue described him as a “forthright … key player in the negotiations for Australia’s recognition of China. This was done quietly but, as always, very effectively.”

Australian officials proposed to follow the formula used by Canada, which had just recently established........

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