On Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison slammed the country’s former PM Paul Keating for what he described as pro-China remarks, calling them “out of line.”
During his speech at the National Press Club this week, Keating urged Australia not to engage in a military conflict with China over Taiwan. He said, “Taiwan is not a vital Australian interest. We have no alliance with Taipei, none, and no document that you find. We do not recognise it as a sovereign state.”
Keating added that Australia has lost its way and is “at odds with its geography.” He further criticised the Australian government’s plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS military alliance with the United States (US) and the United Kingdom. The new partnership aims to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, but Keating compared this alliance to a “handful of toothpicks thrown at a mountain.”
Furthermore, Keating aimed at the Office of National Intelligence Director-General Andrew Shearer and held him responsible for Australia’s foreign policy towards China. National security experts have consistently been worried about the growing Chinese aggression towards Taiwan.
Next, Keating urged Australia and other nations to accept China’s superiority in Asia, saying, “China is simply too big and too central to be ostracised.” To this end, he criticised the Quad alliance between the US, India, Japan, and Australia.
Reacting to these statements, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton mocked Keating, saying, “Important speech today by a dear former leader and Grand Appeaser Comrade Keating where he talks down Australia (yet again).”
Echoing similar sentiments, Morrison said, “He’s certainly out of line with what our government’s policy is, and we certainly don’t share that view.” Morrison also defended Australia’s strong position in the Indo-Pacific and a strong stance for Australian interests. He said, “We’ve worked closely with our allies and our partners right across the region, not just the United States, but of course, Japan and India and the many nations of ASEAN who we work closely with.”
He further criticised the Labor Party for being outdated on these issues and downplaying the Chinese threat in the region. Lastly, Morrison reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing a policy that strengthens Australia’s interests worldwide.