Beijing ‘Using Australia as a Proxy Punching Bag’ for the US: Former PM

Beijing ‘Using Australia as a Proxy Punching Bag’ for the US: Former PM
Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard attends the state memorial service for the late former Australian PM Bob Hawke. June 14, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
Rebecca Zhu
Updated:

Beijing is “using Australia as a proxy punching bag” for the United States, Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard told Sky News.

As one of Australia’s longest-serving prime ministers, Howard made efforts to deepen the nation’s relationship with China. But since leaving office in 2007, he has perceived Beijing to become more “aggressive,” resulting in a change in its attitude towards the rest of the world.