'Actions are wrongly seen': Australia slams China for 'needlessly' deteriorating relations

Amid the worsening Australia-China ties, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hit back at Beijing and called the deterioration of bilateral relations as “needless”. He also called for smaller nations not to be caught in the repercussions of Sino-US rivalry. During a major foreign policy address to a British think-tank on November 23, Morrison said that the ties with China are made “more complex by the assumptions” cast on Canberra’s actions which are “wrongly seen” 

According to Australian PM, the actions taken by the nation are viewed “only” through the lens of the strategic competition between China and the United States. Morrison believes that Canberra should not be out in a position to choose between “enduring alliance” with the Washington and an “open, transparent and mutually beneficial relationship” with Beijing. He said that the situation indicates that Australia does not has its own unique interests or views.

Australian PM said, “Our actions are wrongly seen and interpreted by some only through the lens of the strategic competition between China and the United States.”

“It’s as if Australia does not have its own unique interests or views as an independent sovereign state. This is false and needlessly deteriorates relationships,” he added. 

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Morrison indirect message to the US 

While Morrison’s speech was dominated by the issue of deteriorating relations with China and attempted to ease them, he also gave an indirect message to the United States. Australian PM said that like any other sovereign nation, Canberra will not be pushed into binary choices such as the ones made by China and the United States.

Morrison said, “like other sovereign nations in the Indo-Pacific, our preference is not to be forced into binary choices”.

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Meanwhile, Beijing has said that Canberra should know what it needs to do to improve the relationship between both countries. According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese commerce minister Li Chengganga stated that Beijing has always upheld a pragmatic attitude when it comes to dealing with its trade partners, it is the Australian side, he said, which should know better what it needs to do in improving the ties. 

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