Former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bi Xiaopu, former Liberal Party deputy leader, disclosed to the media some news about her tenure during her term of office, the Daily Mail reported on Nov. 4. During her visit to China in 2016, she said she had left 12 Chinese bodyguards behind during her morning run, although they were wearing suits and leather shoes.
Bi Xiaopu, a famous runner among politicians, equates running with brushing her teeth. She says she runs six to ten kilometers a day almost every day. During her tenure as foreign minister, running was the best way for her to fall jet lag, often flying around. "whenever I get to a new place, I get up at 05:30 the next morning, then run in the morning and let my body think it`s morning run time."
Bi Xiaopu said that during her visit to China in February 2016, she was early in the morning exercise at Ritan Park in Beijing, wearing a black running outfit, 2XU black tights, nike jogging shoes, and winter gloves and down vest. China`s 12 young bodyguards wear suits and leather shoes around them. Bi Xiaopu said they probably thought she was taking a walk in the park, but didn`t expect her to run around the park.
Bi Xiaopu said they could run with her at first, but then they were exhausted and left behind. She added that the bodyguards finally realized that she was not running casually and had learned her level of running, and that the next day they all changed into brand-new running wardrobe.
In recent years, Australia`s crazy rendering of "Chinese threat opinion" has pushed relations to the "freezing point" of 30 years, which has also affected the cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Bi Xiaopu, then Australia`s foreign minister, made unfriendly remarks about China many times. Since May this year, in order to ease Sino-Australian relations, Bi Xiaopu`s attitude towards China has changed, and a number of positive signals have been released from China`s visit to China. On 4 August, Chinese diplomatic minister Wang Yi attended a series of foreign ministers` meetings on East Asian cooperation in Singapore. At the meeting with Bi Xiaopu on the 7th, Bi Xiaopu not only praised the very positive meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, but also mentioned his visit to China again to further ease the relations between China and Australia. She also mentioned that she hoped to be able to join the Chinese foreign minister in a morning run in Beijing. However, late that month, Bi Xiaopu announced his resignation as foreign minister.
