Australia, China ease the tension

Officials from Australia's capital yesterday played down recent friction with Beijing, hailing "common interests" shared with China while denying its ambassador to the country has been recalled for emergency talks.

Chinese experts said both sides should be "extremely cautious" in handling rows, and not over-interpret moves by one another at a time when relations continue to sour.

Sino-Australian ties have been strained by the Rio Tinto commercial espionage case, and by Australia's granting of a visa to Rebiya Kadeer, the alleged mastermind of the July riots in Urumqi in which almost 200 people were killed.