US President Donald Trump (R, Front) welcomes Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L, Front) during a ceremony at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Sep 20, 2019.Photo:Xinhua

 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia "welcomed China's rise as a major economic partner," and urged the US and China to resolve disputes peacefully, which seemingly showed rare positive signals to China. But experts warned that Australia is opportunistically walking the tightrope between alliance with the US and partnership with China. 

According to reports by the Australian media on Tuesday, in a keynote address delivered via video link at the Aspen Security Forum in the US, Morrison said both the US and China had a "special responsibility" to uphold rapidly fraying international rules.

He stressed the importance of the alignment with the US strategy while expressing that Australia welcomed China's rise and wished to keep the economic ties in good condition.

Morrison's remarks show that Australia is trying to walk the tightrope between alliance with the US and partnership with China, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

"In a time of uncertainty, Morrison accordingly opted for an uncertain policy, which is opportunistic in nature," said Chen. 

With recent exports to China reaching unprecedented highs, and Australia's new spike of COVID-19 cases putting pressure on the economy, Morrison is aware that Australia's lopsided alliance with the US could seriously hurt Australia's key national interests, Chen said.

Also, "the prospect of the US presidential election is still shrouded in uncertainty. Morrison does not want to prematurely side with the Trump administration's reckless and whimsical policies," he noted.

The nuances of the US and Australia's decisions on China-related issues have been exposed by the TikTok issue.

Morrison seemed to rule out a ban on the Chinese short video app, saying there's no evidence that TikTok has abused users' data. However, he warned Australians the wildly popular video-sharing app "connects right back to China."

Three days ago, the Australian media reported that Australian intelligence agencies, citing security concerns, launched an investigation into TikTok following on the heels of the US.

Observers noted that Australia's move was not only to fawn over the US, but also aimed to suppress successful Chinese technology companies and to demonize China as a threat. 

Chen said that Morrison displayed rationality and political sense in his decision not to follow Washington's recklessness in banning TikTok, but also warned Australia to be forward-looking in handling its relations with China. 

"It is Australia's business to maintain its defense commitment with Washington, but that should not harm China's interests," said Chen.

Australian exports to China remained strong in May despite rising political tensions, media reports said.

Australian exports to China, excluding services, rose 8 percent from April to A$13.6 billion ($9.4 billion) in May, according to international trade data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this month. China was again Australia's biggest export partner in May, media reports said.