China question PM Scott Morrison won’t answer
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to answer a question about China after it was announced Australia would develop hypersonic missiles.
National
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to say whether Australia would join a war against China if it invaded Taiwan.
It comes after it was announced this week Australia would work with the US and the UK to develop cutting-edge hypersonic and anti-hypersonic weapons.
Mr Morrison was asked during a press conference on Wednesday why we needed them and whether it was because we were worried about China invading us or Taiwan.
He responded by explaining hypersonic missiles were “part of modern warfare”.
“They are one of the key technologies of combat in the future and the long-range strike capability is a critical part of our defences set out in the defence strategic plan,” he said.
The reporter then asked: “Is it your belief in the next decade, China will invade Taiwan and if they were to do so, would Australia be at war with China?”
“I don’t engage in that sort of inflammatory rhetoric,” Mr Morrison responded. “It’s not my job to put Australians in a position of concern. It’s my job to build our defence force capabilities working with our partners and AUKUS is the best example of that.”
He added that defence decisions were made to “protect and defend any of the scenarios” the reporter was talking about.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, along with Boris Johnson and Joe Biden issued a statement on Tuesday as part of the AUKUS military pact announced last year.
The pact was formally centred around submarines, but overnight the trio committed to “commence new trilateral co-operation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as to expand information sharing and to deepen co-operation on defence innovation”.
A blistering report this week accused Australia of “napping at the wheel” while China has amassed a devastating arsenal of hi-tech, long-range missiles that can take out fleets as far from the Chinese mainland as West Papua.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Peter Dutton also refused to say if Australia would step in to protect Taiwan, after last year he said it would be “inconceivable” for Australia not to join the US should Washington take action to defend Taiwan.
“If it is in our national interests to protect our homeland and our allies, then we would take that decision at that time as to what was in our country’s best interests,” he told ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
Originally published as China question PM Scott Morrison won’t answer
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