The Morrison government needs to stop focusing on “splashy headlines” and work out how to deal with an ever-assertive China, Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong says.
The relationship between the two countries fell to a new low last week after a doctored image of an Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to the throat of an Afghan child was posted on social media, drawing an angry response from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
It came after months of clashes over trade, from barley to wine exports.
“The relationship is obviously in a very difficult and challenging place,” Senator Wong told the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
“Going forward … we should assume that a more assertive, at times more aggressive China, is here to stay.”
She believes it is important for there to a calm and strategic response, while working with other nations to support the rules of the road, including on trade.
There is also need for the government to work with Australia’s exporters to help diversify the markets they trade with rather than having a greater reliance on China.
“I think the government really does need to stop focusing on splashy headlines and work out what is it doing,” Senator Wong said.
While Labor remains unified with the government on the condemnation over the tweeted fake image, she questioned why Mr Morrison felt he needed to be the first to respond
“In diplomacy you always have to think about how you calibrate your response,” she said.
“It is a big call to go directly, escalate directly to the national leader, and I hope that Scott Morrison thought very carefully about that decision. I hope that he took advice.”
She also wants a stronger engagement between the government and the opposition on such issues.
She said that doesn’t happen much now, but did when the foreign minister’s post was held by former Liberal MP Julie Bishop.
“We had a fair few ding-dong battles, but she would call me and we would talk through particular issues,” Senator Wong said.
“I think we all understand that China has a very different view about what it wants from Australia than what we are prepared to give, regardless of who is in government.”
