China slams Scott Morrison over Russia comments

China’s top foreign officials have lashed Scott Morrison in a war of words after Australia ramped up criticism of Beijing and Russia.

One of China’s top foreign officials has lashed Scott Morrison in a war of words after the Prime Minister ramped up criticism of Beijing’s involvement with Russia along the Ukraine border.

Mr Morrison also boasted he will “always” call China out despite knowing “that there’ll be blowback against me for saying that internationally”.

On Sunday he took aim at China for being “chillingly silent” as Russian troops amassed on the Ukrainian border.

Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

On Monday, pressed by Opposition leader Anthony Albanese, Mr Morrison went further, telling Parliament: “I do note that the Chinese government, together with the Russian government, have been banding together on this issue, and the Chinese government has not denounced what is occurring in Ukraine.

“And I would urge the Chinese government and all persons in this place to join with the government in urging the Chinese government to denounce those actions and to allow an appropriate response through the United Nations rather than resisting that being done through the National Security Committee.”

He later continued with John Laws on 2SM, claiming he was “disappointed” by Beijing’s lack of response to Russia’s “chilling” imposing military.

“There’s one country that’s not doing it, John, and actually work with Russia in the National Security Council of the United Nations. And that was the Chinese Government. So this is, this is what makes this all very real.

“I’m calling that out and I’m prepared to always call that out, John.

“And I know that there’ll be blowback against me for saying that internationally. Of course they will. There was blowback against me when I shut the border to China. There was blowback against me when I called out where the virus came from in China. There’s always blowback against me when I stand up for Australia’s interests, and I tell you, John, you you’ve got to be prepared to do it.”

Wang Wenbin at a Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing. Picture: Greg Baker/ AFP

A woman walks underneath a military plane set as a monument to a former military base at a town on the outskirts of the Three Sisters border crossing between, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus in Senkivka, Ukraine. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Mr Morrison reiterated “we love the Chinese people and particularly Chinese Australians, are the most patriotic.

“And we celebrate them. But we’re not going to be coerced by the Chinese Government. We stood up to them.”

China snaps back

It was then followed by a lashing from Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin who accused the Prime Minister of using Beijing for “political gains”.

“We urge the Australian side to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias and stop making belligerent rhetoric that will escalate the tensions,” he said in a press conference.

“Such acts of seeking selfish political gains by clamouring for confrontation are unethical and dangerous.”

In the same press conference, Mr Wenbin said China urged all parties to “work for the comprehensive resolution of the Ukraine crisis and issues concerned through dialogue and negotiation.

“We call on all parties to remain rational and refrain from making moves that may escalate the tensions and play up and sensationalise the crisis.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. Picture: Greg Baker/ AFP

It was, however, not evacuating its citizens or diplomats, unlike a number of other Western countries including Australia.

Russia said Tuesday it was pulling back some of its forces near the Ukrainian border to their bases, in what would be the first major step towards de-escalation in weeks of crisis with the West.

The move came amid an intense diplomatic effort to avert a feared Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour and after Moscow amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders.

The crisis — the worst between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War — reached a peak this week with US officials warning that a full-scale invasion, including an assault on the capital Kiev, was possible within days.

Members of the Ukrainian Border Guard patrol along the Ukrainian border fence at the Three Sisters border crossing between, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

In the morning on Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry’s spokesman said that some forces deployed near Ukraine had completed their exercises and were packing up to leave.

Ukraine said that its joint diplomatic efforts with Western allies have managed to avert a feared Russian invasion.

“We and our allies have managed to prevent Russia from any further escalation. It is already the middle of February, and you see that diplomacy is continuing to work,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters.

— with AFP