‘Delusional miscalculation’: Beijing lashes out at Defence Minister Peter Dutton
Tensions continue to rise between Australia and China, as Beijing blasts Defence Minister Peter Dutton for what it branded “delusional miscalculation”.
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Beijing has lashed out at Defence Minister Peter Dutton, accusing him of “delusional miscalculation” after his hawkish speech in which he questioned if Taiwan would “satisfy” China.
In an address to the National Press Club last week, Mr Dutton said the strategic climate in Australia’s region had “echoes of the 1930s” and said the Chinese Community Party saw other countries in the area as “tributary states”.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian over night named Mr Dutton directly and accused him of “delusional miscalculation on China’s foreign policy”.
“He brazenly distorted China’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, mislead the Australian people on the regional situation and priorities, and incite conflict and division between countries and peoples,” Mr Zhao said.
“The remarks run counter to the trend of peace, development and co-operation in our world today and are detrimental to regional peace and stability.
China firmly rejects such irresponsible remarks. Visionary people in Australia have also criticised them.”
He said “certain Australian politicians” should “stop hyping up the ‘China threat’ narrative for selfish political gain”.
In a more ominous warning he described it as going down “the wrong path towards the point of no return”.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Senator Penny Wong last week said Mr Dutton was “amping up war” and “playing politics and national affairs”, while also added that China’s economic coercion and flouting of agreements were “not the behaviours of a responsible global power”.
Mr Dutton said Australians expected their governments to “speak frankly” about challenges the nation faced.
“In my view, acquiescence or appeasement is a tactic that a cul-de-sac of strategic misfortune or worse,” he said.
“If China takes a path other than peace – it’s catastrophic, I don’t want to see it.
“I’ll do everything I can to deter it and we’ll deter it from a position of strength, not weakness.”
Originally published as ‘Delusional miscalculation’: Beijing lashes out at Defence Minister Peter Dutton
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