Australia will always put its national interests ahead of economic interests in its troubled relationship with China, a senior Australian lawmaker said Wednesday after a White House official predicted Sino-Australian tensions will persist. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, deputy leader of Australia’s ruling conservative Liberal Party, said China remained a “very important economic partner” despite bilateral disputes that have disrupted tens of billions of dollars in trade in Australian commodities including coal, wine, beef, barley, wood and lobsters. “We will not put economic interests first,” Frydenberg told reporters.