Morrison insisted Australia wanted “mutually beneficial” relations with its two trading partners.
Sydney, Australia:
Australia has denounced an “unnecessary” deterioration in relations with China, with the country’s prime minister calling for small nations not to be caught in the crossfire of Sino-US rivalry.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison denounced rising Chinese pressure and dismissed Australia’s portrayal of America as an American pocket dog, saying it was wrong and “unnecessarily deteriorates relations” in an online speech at a London Monday evening.
Morrison insisted that Australia wanted “mutually beneficial” relations with its major trading partner and the United States, while having the right to defend its own interests independently of the two.
In recent months, Canberra’s relationship with Beijing has gone from bad to worse.
Beijing has produced a long list of complaints about Australian policies – from a ban on Huawei’s participation in the 5G rollout to its call for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
It has also targeted sensitive Australian exports with economic sanctions, in a bid to increase the cost of defying China’s wishes.
Morrison warned that this coercive diplomacy was just a “taste” of what other countries – including those in Europe – can expect to endure in the future.
But to nod to the new administration of US President-elect Joe Biden, Morrison also insisted that countries like Australia should not be asked to choose sides as Washington and Beijing attempt to take sides. influence.
“More latitude will be required from the world‘s greatest powers to accommodate the individual interests of their partners and allies. We all need a little more room to move,” Morrison told the UK Policy Exchange .
Over the past four years, US President Donald Trump has taken a confrontational approach, trying to rally allies to counter China’s growing influence, which critics say risks creating a Cold War-style stalemate. between two competing power blocks.
It is uncertain whether China-U.S. Relations will improve under a Biden administration, with the Democrat having openly stated during his campaign about China’s dismal human rights record.
“There has to be a more nuanced appreciation of the interests of individual states in the way they treat great powers. Stark choices are not in the best interests of anyone,” Morrison said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
