Scott Morrison Lowy Institute address: Prime Minister slams China’s ‘chilling silence’ on Ukraine

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has slammed China’s “chilling silence” on the war in Ukraine during a major foreign policy speech.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has slammed China’s “chilling silence” on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saying it is time for Beijing to stop having a “bet each way”.

Mr Morrison gave a major foreign policy address to the Lowy Institute on Monday, formally announcing his plan for a $10bn base to be built for the nuclear powered submarines Australia is set to acquire under the AUKUS agreement.

During his hour-long speech, Mr Morrison said that the crisis in Europe heralded a moment of choice for the Chinese government – and he was not hopeful it would be a good one.

“Under Vladimir Putin, Russia has chosen the path of violence and seeking to overturn the global order,” Mr Morrison said.

“The world has heard China’s words about its commitment to global peace and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and playing a positive role in the international community for a very long time.

“So it’s now up to China’s and their leaders at this hinge point of history to demonstrate that these are more than just words.

“But I feel the early signs are not good.”

Mr Morrison said that China had thrown Russia and economic lifeline by relaxing trade restrictions on wheat and supporting Russian banks cut off by sanctions.

He said that China’s language had even suggested there was a legitimate cause for Russia to invade Ukraine.

“No country will have a bigger impact on concluding this terrible war in Ukraine than China,” he said.

“But so long as they have a bet each way on this, the bloodshed will continue.”

The Prime Minister said he believed Russia and China had an “instinctive and opportunistic relationship” rather than a strategic one.

“China and Russia have got a fairly interesting history in terms of their engagement,” he said.

“I don’t think anything has changed about that.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he wasn’t hopeful about China’s choices to do with Russia.

“But there does seem to be some alignment in the sort of world order that they would prefer to the one that has been in place since the end of the second World War.”

Mr Morrison also said he wouldn’t for a moment seek to draw any parallels between the situation in the Taiwan Strait and Ukraine.

“I think these situations are entirely different and the responses that would be expected in the Taiwan Strait would be completely different to what has occurred in Ukraine,” he said.

“So I wouldn’t want to alert or concern Australians that simply because of what’s occurring in Ukraine that B will follow A on these things.

“I don’t believe that.

“I think those circumstances and that situation is as it was before, tense, deserving of concern and attention, but not necessarily at all impacted by the events in Ukraine.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison Lowy Institute address: Prime Minister slams China’s ‘chilling silence’ on Ukraine