Paul Keating blasts Nancy Pelosi, after comment made about Taiwan

Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating has attacked Nancy Pelosi after she claimed a statement he made about Taiwan was “stupid” to make.

Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating has attacked Nancy Pelosi after the US Democrat said his comments over Taiwan were “stupid”.

Last week, Mr Keating said Taiwan was “Chinese real estate”.

In a sneak peek of an episode of ABC 7.30 to air Tuesday night, Pelosi called the remark “ridiculous”.

“You don’t want to get my description of him for saying that. That’s ridiculous. It is not Chinese real estate and he should know that. Taiwan is Taiwan and it is the people of Taiwan who have a democracy there. I think that that was a stupid statement,” she said.

“I’ve no idea about Keating, but I think that it was a stupid statement to make, and I don’t know what his connection is to China that he would say such a thing. But it is really not in the security interest of the Asia-Pacific region for people to talk that way.”

Mr Keating has replied saying: “Nancy Pelosi said of my recent 7.30 interview ‘it is not in the security interest of the Asia-Pacific region for people to talk that way’ – that is, of my remarks in respect of Taiwan.

Nancy Pelosi tells Australia's best interviewer Sarah Ferguson that Paul Keating's false claim that 'Taiwan is Chinese real estate' was 'ridiculous' and a 'stupid statement' and she can't think what his 'connection is to China' that he would 'say such a thing.'… pic.twitter.com/NXo78XHjGo

— Latika M Bourke (@latikambourke) August 12, 2024

“This is from the former leader of the US House of Representatives who, in a recklessly indulgent visit to Taiwan in 2022, very nearly brought the United States and China to a military confrontation – for the first time since the Second World War.”

It comes after Mr Keating renewed his attack on the Albanese government over its security reliance on the US, calling them sellouts and “turkeys”.

“In defence and foreign policy, this is not a Labor government,” Mr Keating told the ABC.

“This is a party which has adopted the defence and foreign policies of the Morrison Liberal government.”

“This is a sellout.”

Former prime minister Paul Keating had some stern words for the Albanese government. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Keating — a vocal critic of the AUKUS pact who has repeatedly played down the security risk posed by China — said Mr Marles’s comments after this week’s AUSMIN talks about America’s enhanced military force posture down under “made me cringe”.

“it will make any Labor person cringe,“ Mr Keating said.

“This government has sold out to the United States.”

“They’ve fallen for the dinner on the White House lawn.

“The prime minister gets the dinners on the White House lawn … [and] these turkeys all fall for it.”

It comes as US nuclear-armed bombers will be deployed down under more frequently in a major expansion of America’s military presence in Australia to deter China’s increasing aggression.

Australia will also begin producing American guided missiles next year and billions of dollars worth of defence technology will be shared within weeks without complex export licences, marking the latest steps in creating a seamless industrial base between the allies.

Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong during the meeting. Picture: AFP

Speaking after talks in the US, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and their American counterparts Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken refused to be drawn on the prospect of war with China, saying they were trying to deter conflict.

But they unveiled the sweeping new measures to bolster military co-operation in a lengthy statement that blasted China’s “dangerous and escalatory” targeting of Philippine vessels, its “excessive maritime claims” in the South China Sea, its “unsafe and unprofessional encounters” with other vessels and aircraft, and its military activities around Taiwan.

“Together, we work to ensure that no state ever concludes that the benefits of conflict in our region outweighs the costs,” Senator Wong said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong with Defence Minister Richard Marles, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Picture: AFP

Defence Minister Richard Marles and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin listen to their respective national anthems. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Marles, in outlining the “deepening of American force posture” in Australia, said it now involved “every domain – land, sea, air, cyber and space”.

On top of the annual rotation of US Marines and the forthcoming deployment of US nuclear-powered submarines to Western Australia, the leaders used the annual AUSMIN meeting to agree on more frequent rotations of army watercraft, bombers, fighter jets, and maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

Richard Marles and Penny Wong with Kevin Rudd at the meeting in Annapolis, Maryland. Picture: AFP

Multiple Royal Australian Air Force bases are now being upgraded to support the increased US presence, while the two countries are planning an American logistics base at the Bandiana defence site in Albury-Wodonga.

Mr Austin, the US Defence Secretary, said the arrangements were testament to the “extraordinary strength of our unbreakable alliance”.

Mr Blinken, the US Secretary of State, added that AUSMIN would “turbocharge our defence industrial bases” including through the imminent removal of complex export control rules on defence technology – a crucial step forward for the AUKUS pact.

Mr Marles said it was a “generational dream” to establish a “seamless defence industrial base between Australia and America”.

The leaders agreed that next year, Australia would begin production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, which have been a crucial part of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

An agreement will also be struck by the end of this year to kickstart the co-production of surface-to-face long-range precision strike missiles.

“What we want is an alliance that is always fit for the strategic circumstances that we face,” Senator Wong said.

“Together, we can do more – so much more.”

Originally published as Paul Keating blasts Nancy Pelosi, after comment made about Taiwan