National security experts slam Daniel Andrews’ China comments

National security experts have savaged Dan Andrews after he controversially dismissed concerns about foreign interference from China

Premier Daniel Andrews has been slammed for naivety and accused of “living in the 1990s” after he dismissed concerns about foreign interference from China.

Leading national security experts have criticised the Premier after comments this week in which Mr Andrews questioned whether the Morrison Government’s foreign relations legislation was necessary.

It came after China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian posted a gratuitous fake image on social media on Monday to condemn war crimes allegedly committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison responded by saying the Chinese government should be “totally ashamed” of the “repugnant” post.

Speaking about the issue, Mr Andrews said “We have been able to successfully, in the past, separate our trading relationship from our diplomatic relationship.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: David Geraghty

“There are things we have to call out … But it is absolutely in our interest to continue to have our products going at increasing rates to our biggest customer.”

When asked about the Morrison Government’s proposed foreign relations legislation – which could affect Victoria’s Belt and Road deal with China – Mr Andrews questioned whether the legislation was necessary.

“This is about the power to review sister city arrangements,” he said.

“Matters of massive international intrigue … Who Dandenong is the sister city with.

“If this is the biggest and most important thing for them to be doing at the moment, well I look forward to them explaining that to everyone.”

Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, told the Sunday Herald Sun the Premier’s position was contradictory.

“He condemns the Chinese tweet, so he understands the problem in terms of the attack on Australian values,” Prof Medcalf said.

“But then he puts the onus on Canberra rather than Beijing, which is peculiar given who is responsible for the escalation this week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

“It is extraordinary that the Victorian Government is still seeing China only through the lens of commercial opportunity given the cyber risks and other national security challenges that we have seen from China.

“It is baffling how any Australian government could still only see China through the lens of short-term commercial gain.

“I’m confident if the Victorian Premier availed himself of access to classified briefings he would not reduce this to trivialities over sister cities.”

Michael Shoebridge, Director of Defence, Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Premier’s comments “read like he’s living in the 1990s”.

“China has changed and obviously combines security, economics and diplomacy,” Mr Shoebridge said.

“To nostalgically recall it used not to be like this is to misunderstand China under Xi and the CCP.

“When NATO, the EU and members of a multinational parliamentary alliance all clearly see the challenge China poses to us all as combining security and handling China’s use of trade as a weapon, Mr Andrews simply looks out of touch.”

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