China has changed: Albanese pushes back Keatings’ criticisms of Labor and Aukus | Paul keating

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Anthony Albanese says China has become much more forward-looking and this is what is pushing Australia to change its foreign policy, implicitly fending off criticism from former Prime Minister Paul Keating.

On Thursday, the opposition leader avoided directly criticizing Keating, a former Labor Party who said the two main parties had strayed, but made it clear he did not share the assessment of the strategic circumstances in which the Australia is now facing.

China has changed its position – it’s the truth, Albanese told the Nine Network when asked to respond to Keating.

They are much more forward oriented. Australia is right to stand up for its own values. China is the nation that has changed in terms of its attitude towards Australian imports, for example, and Australian businesses are suffering.

Keating, who was Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996, said Beijing was in the teenage phase of its diplomacy and had testosterone all over the place, but Australia had no choice but to engage with a More and more powerful China.

Picking up a mantra from when he was prime minister, Keating told the National Press Club that the Morrison government was wrongly trying to find our safety in Asia rather than Asia.

Keating also played down criticism of China’s militarization of the contested features of the South China Sea by saying the great powers are rude, and said Australia should not be drawn into a military engagement against Taiwan because the democratically governed island of 24 million people was not a vital Australian. interest.

Albanese later told reporters that he had always listened to Keating, as a respected former leader, but Labor is determining our policy for the future.

And it is a policy based on principles but also based on the recognition of our situation in 2021.

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating says Australia ‘has gone astray’ in video of National Press Club speech

Albanes’ comments are another sign that the opposition is trying to play down differences with the government over national security and foreign affairs, seeking to thwart efforts by Scott Morrison and his ministers to portray Labor as weak in the approaching elections scheduled for May.

Morrison told voters on Thursday that you really can’t trust them when it comes to these national security concerns.

Labor has backed Aukus’ partnership with the US and UK to deliver at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, based on advice that they will need to be able to travel further with less detection as they go. as the outlook in the Indo-Pacific worsens.

But Labor has also asked for assurances on concerns such as Australia’s freedom to differ from the United States on military matters.

The opposition accused Morrison of botched diplomacy around Aukus, after French President Emmanuel Macron said the prime minister lied to him about Australia’s plan to cancel the previous submarine contract conventional $ 90 billion. US President Joe Biden told Macron this was treated awkwardly.

Over the past 18 months, as Australia’s relations with Beijing deteriorated, Labor has tended to focus on jurisdictional issues rather than broad strategic issues, accusing the Coalition of stepping up rhetoric to domestic political ends and not having an appropriate strategy to manage a more assertive China conflict.

Keating argued that the foreign policy debate in Australia was now driven by the ghosts of the security agencies, and when it came to major foreign policy choices, the Coalition and Labor were fundamentally out of step. height.

He said Labor Party foreign spokeswoman Penny Wong opted for a reasonably calm political life by effectively taking the position that there should not be a shred of light between her and the Liberal Party. on foreign policy.

Wong did not respond to the criticism, but Albanese said Labor policy must recognize where we are in 2021, including the era of strategic competition between the United States and China.

He said he agreed with the Biden administration that what we need is disaster-free competition and that will require commitment, but it also requires recognition of the change in China’s external position.

Albanese said Labor foreign policy was based on three principles: our alliance with the United States, engagement in our region and support for multilateral forums.

Defense Minister Peter Dutton called former Labor PM a Great Appeaser, Comrade Keating:

Important speech today by former chief and great calming comrade Keating where he talks about Australia (again)

– Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) November 10, 2021

Morrison argued that Keating reflected the views of many people in the Labor Party. Morrison said that Keating was certainly not in line with our government’s policy, and we certainly don’t share that view.

Pivoting towards an election message on national security, Morrison told the Nine Network: [To] to secure Australia’s interests in our part of the world you have to be strong. You have to be able to defend it. You have to be able to see things clearly.

Morrison said Australia wants a positive relationship with China but at the same time, they are not going to be pushed around. He accused Albanese of joining the Chinese government and other foreigners in attacking me the other day.

In fact, Albanese did not approve of Beijing’s positions, but cited Macron’s accusation that Morrison lied to other Labor accounts that the prime minister could not be trusted. Albanese also criticized Morrison for the extraordinary decision to publish a text message he had received from Macron.

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