Beijing’s new ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has struck a conciliatory tone in his first official statement upon arrival to the country. The former Chinese envoy to Indonesia landed on Jan. 26—Australia Day—saying he was on a “noble mission.” Xiao said in a statement on the official embassy website that he would work to increase engagement, “eliminate misunderstanding and suspicion,” and “jointly push” Australia-China relations back on track. Xiao’s time comes after the former ambassador, Cheng Jingye, vacated his post in October 2021. Cheng was the face of Beijing’s “wolf-warrior” diplomacy, which saw the official adopt more confrontational rhetoric against Australia while the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) instigated an ongoing economic coercion campaign in response to Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s calls for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Coercion measures against Australian exports included arbitrary border testing and inspections, the imposition of tariffs, and unwarranted delays in listing export establishments …