Defence Minister Peter Dutton doubles down on China comments

In a move which could further upset China, Defence Minister Peter Dutton says Beijing’s actions over Taiwan are “very serious” and Australia must be a deterrent.

Australia must provide a “deterrence” against China taking further action in Taiwan, Defence Minister Peter Dutton has declared, doubling down in a war of words with Beijing and Labor.

Mr Dutton defended his recent comments about the potential for Australia to join the US if there was a military conflict over Taiwan, which drew criticism from Chinese officials.

He said he was not pre-committing Australia to a war, but described the situation in the Indo-Pacific as “very serious” as China was engaging in “completely unacceptable” activities across the region.

“Australia needs to provide a deterrence against actions, including by the Communist Party, because the Communist Party has been very clear about their intent in relation to Taiwan,” he said.

Beijing has accused Defence Minister Peter Dutton of wanting a confrontation with China. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong on Tuesday attacked Mr Dutton for dropping the longstanding “ambiguity” used by the US and other allies when discussing Taiwan.

Mr Dutton then accused Ms Wong of not standing up for “Australian values”.

In response Ms Wong said the Defence Minister was “proving my point” by “lying” about what she had said.

“Labor supports AUKUS … and we are sticking to the long-held bipartisan position on Taiwan, even if Mr Dutton is walking away from it,” Ms Wong said.

Beijing this week sought to escalate its row with Australia, in a co-ordinated pile on criticising the government’s nuclear-powered submarines plan and accusing Defence Minister Peter Dutton of wanting a “confrontation” with China.

Labor Senator Penny Wong has criticised Defence Minister Peter Dutton for explicitly discussing Taiwan in the context of military conflict. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gary Ramage

China’s President Xi Jinping led the attacks on Australia’s new partnership with the United States and United Kingdom, known as AUKUS, in a major speech to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“We need to pursue dialogue instead of confrontation, build partnerships instead of alliances, and make concerted efforts to address the various negative factors that might threaten or undermine peace,” Mr Xi said.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian later told reporters the AUKUS submarine agreement “deliberately escalates regional tensions, stimulates arms race, threatens regional peace and stability, and undermines international nuclear non-proliferation efforts”.

Mr Zhao also launched a personal attack on Mr Dutton, accusing him of being “obsessed with the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices”.

“Driven by selfish political gains, he has repeatedly made provocations, sensational and astonishing statements on China-related issues,” Mr Zhao said.

DUTTON ‘OBSESSED’ OVER CHINA: BEIJING

Beijing has escalated its row with Australia in a co-ordinated pile on criticising the government’s nuclear-powered submarines plan and accusing Defence Minister Peter Dutton of wanting a “confrontation” with China.

China’s President Xi Jinping led the attacks on Australia’s new partnership with the United States and United Kingdom, known as AUKUS, in a major speech to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and was backed in by state-run media and spokespeople.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has targeted the AUKUS partnership in a major speech this week. Picture: AFP

“We need to pursue dialogue instead of confrontation, build partnerships instead of alliances, and make concerted efforts to address the various negative factors that might threaten or undermine peace,” Mr Xi said in the speech late on Monday.

He said China only pursued “friendly coexistence” with neighbouring countries and implied Australia’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines would lead to the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

“China will never seek hegemony, still less bully smaller countries,” he said.

“China supports ASEAN’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon-free zone, and is prepared to sign the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone as early as possible.”

The AUKUS agreement is not for nuclear weapons, but Chinese officials have been implying it is ever since the partnership was announced in September.

After US President Joe Biden had a four-hour video meeting with Mr Xi last week, officials familiar with the call said the Chinese leader was very concerned about the creation of the AUKUS.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian backed in Mr Xi’s attack on Monday, telling a daily press conference the AUKUS submarine agreement “deliberately escalates regional tensions, stimulates arms race, threatens regional peace and stability, and undermines international nuclear non-proliferation efforts”.

Mr Zhao also launched a personal attack on Mr Dutton, accusing him of being “obsessed with the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices”.

“Driven by selfish political gains, he has repeatedly made provocations, sensational and astonishing statements on China-related issues,” Mr Zhao said.

“He wouldn’t scruple to hijack Australia onto the chariot in confrontation with China. His real intention has been exposed to all.”

Previously Mr Dutton had described comments by China’s acting ambassador to Australia Wang Xining attacking the nuclear submarine deal as “so silly”.

“We don’t see it from any other ambassador here in Australia,” Mr Dutton told Channel 9.

“It’s quite remarkable.

“These provocative comical statements — it’s just so silly, it’s funny.”

US President Joe Biden meets with China's President Xi Jinping during a virtual summit from the White House. Picture: AFP

In an editorial, state-run news organisation The China Daily accused Australia as doing the bidding of the US, describing Canberra as the “yes-man at troublemaking at Uncle Sam’s back and call”.

Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Senator Penny Wong has also taken aim at Mr Dutton’s language choices, criticising him for saying it was “inconceivable” Australia would not back the US if there was a war over Taiwan,

In an address to the ANU National Security College on Tuesday Ms Wong said “the greatest risk to peace, stability and prosperity in our region is the risk of conflict in Taiwan”.

Ms Wong said Mr Dutton knew what he was doing by using words like “inconceivable”.

“In maintaining this position of strategic ambiguity, the US declines to declare a definitive position on military conflict including whether to join a war if one was started by others and, as a US ally, Australia has taken a position consistent with theirs,” she explained.

“And this strategy has rightly been adopted as the path most capable of averting conflict and enabling the region to live in peace and prosperity.

“So when Peter Dutton talks about it being “inconceivable” that Australia would not join a war over Taiwan, he is wildly out of step with a strategy long adopted by Australia and our principal ally.”