Australia ‘will always stand up for itself’, PM says after China fury

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has played down tensions with China over the historic nuclear submarine deal, but has warned Australia will always “stand up for itself”.

Australia has not made a choice between China and the US but will always “stand up for itself”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as he responded to Beijing’s fury in reaction to its historic nuclear submarine and defence deal.

While he did not rule out the potential for economic retribution from Beijing in response, Mr Morrison said such actions would not be justified.

But he said he was open to talks with Beijing and China’s President Xi Jinping, saying there has “never been any obstacles to that” from Australia.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: Newswire/Gary Ramage

One of Australia’s nearest neighbours Indonesia also expressed “deep concern” on Friday over the nuclear deal, urging stability in the region and for any parties towards “settling any differences peacefully”.

But tensions with China continued to simmer following a joint statement between Australia and the US which expressed intentions to “maintain strong unofficial ties with Taiwan” and expressing concern of the oppression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

It sparked a furious response from the China’s embassy in Australia which released a statement urging Canberra to stop “sliding down the road of harming” relations between the two countries.

“This petty move to put pressure on China will be of no avail but a staged farce,” the statement read.

On Thursday Australia announced a historic defence alliance with the US and UK, dubbed AUKUS, to purchase at least eight submarines, which drew swift rebuke from Beijing with its foreign ministry spokesman who accused it of undermining “peace and stability”.

Mr Morrison said he noted comments in China’s state-run The Global Times, that Australia had made itself a nuclear target with the deal, but he did not intend to respond to the claim.

“Australia has to stand up for itself and protect its interests and keep Australians safe, and we will just always do that,” he told 3AW.

“China themselves undertake investments in their own national defence in their national interests … I don’t know why it would be surprising that Australia and other partners would do the same.”

He said Australia should not have to choose between its ally in the US and largest trading partner in China.

“This is why our door remains open to have that comprehensive strategic partnership which we have with China, to continue on in the way we intended it to occur, and there is no obstacle to that from Australia‘s perspective,” Mr Morrison said.