European leaders have ‘growing awareness’ of China challenge, Scott Morrison says

European leaders are keen to support allies in the Indo-Pacific as fears over China’s aggression grows, Scott Morrison says.

There is a “growing awareness” among European leaders of the challenges Australia and its allies face with China, and they have expressed a “keen interest” to offer support, Scott Morrison says.

Speaking from Paris after meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister said both political and business leaders were concerned about Beijing’s increasingly aggressive strategies in the Indo-Pacific and how its autonomous approach stunted economic activity.

He said this issue was also discussed with leaders from the UK, Europe and North America at the G7 Summit last weekend.

“There is a keen interest in understanding what is occurring in the Indo-Pacific, the implications for that but more importantly how positively we can make our way through,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Wednesday.

“This trip has been a good opportunity to try to link together the understandings of the challenges in the Indo-Pacific as we see them heavily informed by our relationship with ASEAN partners, with those of UK and Europe and indeed North America.

“As that appreciation, as that understanding and that knowledge increases, as I discussed with President Macron last night, then that greatly then impacts and informs on the decisions they are making.”

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President Macron said France ‘stands by’ Australia’s side against China. Picture: Adam Taylor/PMO

Mr Morrison said the concern and awareness among international leaders went beyond militaristic agitations from China.

“It is so much more a factor in both the considerations and assessments of governments and not just strategically but economically as well, but also of the business community,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s comments come after the French leader condemned coercive measures taken against Australia by Beijing, declaring Canberra was central to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

President Macron described China’s strategy to slap trade sanctions on Australia amid increasingly hostile disputes between the two nations was a “flagrant violation of international law”.

“You are at the forefront of the tensions that exist in the region, of the threats, and sometimes of the intimidation. I want to reiterate here how much we stand by your side,” he said.

“I would like to reiterate how committed France remains to defending the balance in the Indo-Pacific region and how much we consider the partnership we have with Australia to be at the heart of this Indo-Pacific strategy.”

The UK and Australia signed a new trade deal this week. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/AFP

Mr Macron joined UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who Mr Morrison met in London this week, and the US in throwing its weight behind Canberra during the stoush.

Standing alongside the French President, Mr Morrison said the two countries shared common goals and values, describing their co-operation as vital to regional stability.

“Every element of our partnership is about reinforcing the values and the beliefs that we hold dearly,” he said.

“The work that you’ve done in supporting and standing with Australia as we go through some difficult times in the Indo-Pacific … we greatly appreciate that.”

A joint statement from G7 leaders demanded Beijing “respect human rights and fundamental freedoms”, referencing the oppression of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and crackdowns on democratic movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian described the statement as “deliberate slander” designed to accelerate regional tensions.

“It reveals the malign intentions of the US, and a few other countries, to create confrontation and widen differences and disputes. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this,” he said on Tuesday.

— with Finn McHugh