Julie Bishop has offered the Australian government advice on how to rebuild relations with China and ensure peace in Taiwan.
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Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, the former foreign minister said she would encourage Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to accept an invitation to Beijing, despite outstanding disputes.
The government is seeking the removal of all trade sanctions imposed by China on the nation's products, and the release of detained Australians.
Mr Albanese is expected to visit Beijing in coming months, but the government has maintained it wants to see more progress before a prime ministerial visit.
Asked if Mr Albanese should travel to China before those issues are resolved, Ms Bishop said: "I would go and raise these issues while I was there."
China imposed bans on $20 billion worth of Australian products, but has since wound back restrictions on timber and coal imports.
On tensions between China and the Unites States in the Indo-Pacific, Ms Bishop said Australia should act as a facilitator for dialogue between the two powers to help prevent a catastrophic military conflict over Taiwan.
"I don't believe that Australia should just accept we're in a middle power, they won't listen to us," she said.
"I believe that we have a role to play and that there is an expectation that we would."
Ms Bishop said an appeal should be made to the US and China to work together as forces for global good to help end Russia's war on Ukraine.
"What I find deeply alarming is there seems to be no interest or progress in a ceasefire that will be a first step to ending these hostilities," she said.
Other nations may also look to follow Russia's footsteps, she added.
On a Productivity Commission report that showed Chinese trade bans had limited impact on the Australian economy, Ms Bishop said diversification was good trade policy, but it should not be ignored that China was a significant purchaser of commodities.
"China is a challenging partner, you could be a full-time foreign minister working on just China issues," she said.
"I think diplomacy, particularly soft power diplomacy, is underdone in this country."
Regarding the reinstatement of Wang Yi as China's foreign minister, Ms Bishop described her former counterpart as a "highly competent, highly professional diplomat".
She said the appointment would do well for Australia, and the thawing of relations between the two countries.
"We have a minister (Wang) who knows us well and understands the challenges that Australia faces in working with China," Ms Bishop said.
Ms Bishop, the Australian National University's chancellor, would not be drawn on whether she had been approached for a gig as Australia's ambassador to France.
"You know I don't speak French," she replied.
"I do pay credit to Stephen Smith and Kevin Rudd and any other former foreign minister who thinks it is a good idea to pick foreign ministers up from the airport on a regular basis."
Australian Associated Press
