China’s strategic ambition has expanded so much it has world military and economic domination in its sight, according to the visiting US Secretary of State.
Speaking to The Australian, Antony Blinken, who has travelled to Australia for a Quad meeting with Foreign Minister Marise Payne, India and Japan, said China had plans for a new world order, albeit one marked by illiberalism.
“To my mind, there’s little doubt that China’s ambition over time is to be the leading military, economic, diplomatic and political power not just in the region, but in the world,” Mr Blinken told the newspaper.
“China wants an (international) order, but the difference is its world order would be profoundly illiberal. Ours is liberal.
“Those are values that must be defended against whomever is challenging them.”
Mr Blinken has stressed his belief in the power of the United States and its allies as a stronger force than an emerging China-Russia coalition.
Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton told the parliament on Thursday that Australia was facing its most “complex and potentially catastrophic regional security environment since the Second World War”.
“The threat now posed by the Chinese government aggression is very real, and it’s growing.”
Mr Dutton said the “unholy alliance” between China and Russia should “cause great concern around the world”, but that Australia was working “very closely” with its partners.
Mr Dutton then launched an extraordinary claim that the Chinese government had “decided” to back the Labor Party to win the upcoming federal election, telling Question Time on Thursday there was “evidence”.
“We now see evidence that the Chinese Communist Party has also made a decision about who they’re going to back in the next federal election … and that is open and obvious,” Mr Dutton said.
“And they have picked this bloke (Anthony Albanese) as their candidate.”
Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke immediately raised a point of order, saying anything that went to whether a person was guilty of treason or sedition had to be dealt with “on the strictest terms”.
Mr Dutton responded by saying his comments were not an allegation against Mr Albanese, but “a reflection of the Chinese government, the actions of the Chinese government, and that is the context in which I made the comment”.
“It might be uncomfortable for those opposite, but it is perfectly in order,” Mr Dutton said.
Mr Albanese said the comments were “not acceptable and not in Australia’s national interest”.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull told ABC Radio on Friday morning Mr Dutton’s comments were dangerous.
“(Mr Dutton’s comments) were purely for crass political advantage,” he said.
“We should not be turning the debate about China and national security into some kind of ‘reds under the beds’ scare.
“(These comments are) ludicrous … and a sign of desperation.
“We’ve got to stand our ground (against China), but we’ve got to do so in a measured way. There has got to be nuance and diplomacy.”
Mr Turnbull said Mr Morrison should “try and pull (Mr) Dutton back”.
“It’s really bad …xjmtzyw It has no basis,” he said.
Mr Blinken’s visit comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with the Secretary of State watching for an anticipated invasion from Australia.
