Coronavirus: States target Scott Morrison on China diplomatic stoush

Three state Labor governments have joined in slapping down the Morrison government over its worsening row with China.

WA Premier Mark McGowan says his state had a unique relationship with Beijing. Picture: AAP

Three state Labor governments have joined in slapping down the Morrison government over its worsening row with China over the coronavirus pandemic, warning that intemperate language and a lack of respect risk serious damage­ to vital relationships and an unnecessary trade war.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said he accepted foreign policy was decided by the commonwealth but his state had “carried the nation” through the COVID-19 economic downturn with its iron ore, gas and other exports­ to China, and had a unique relationship with Beijing.

Victoria went further, with Treasurer Tim Pallas attacking “inelegant interventions” and a “use of language” by federal governmen­t ministers to “vilify China”. He blamed the worsening war of words as Scott Morrison pushed for a global ­inquiry into the pandemic that focused on China for that country’s decision to suspend­ beef imports from four Australian abattoirs and threaten tariffs on Australian barley.

Defending the Andrews government’s Belt and Road deal with the Chinese government, as he faced questions at Victorian parliament’s public accounts and estim­ates committee coronavirus inquiry, Mr Pallas said Victoria’s relationship with China “benefits all Victorians, from farmers exportin­g their produce to our universities and beyond”.

China moved on Tuesday to sus­pend imports from four large abattoirs in Queensland and NSW after news that Australia will push for a global independent probe into the origins of COVID-19 at the World Health Assembly next week.

Earlier this week, China’s Communist Party government threatened to impose severe tariffs on Australian barley exports. With relations seriously strained, Beijing has warned of “retaliatory measures” and stressed a need to maintain “mutual respect and equality”.

Mr Pallas claimed the federal government had struck “similar arrangements” to Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement with China. “The only difference is we’ve made our arrangements public,” he said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk sounded the alarm on a potential trade war with China, saying the Morrison government needed to resolve tensions to protect Queensland jobs.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would write to federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, urging him to solve the beef dispute soon.

“China is an incredibly important trading partner to Queensland,” she said. “Most of our trade goes to China. What trade means is jobs … In relation to our beef ­industry, it is thousands of jobs. Eighteen thousand jobs. What I am concerned about is the potential for a trade war to erupt and to damage Queensland’s exports, to damage Queensland’s reputation, and to damage Queensland’s jobs and livelihoods.’’

The NSW Coalition government refrained from direct criticism of the Morrison government. But Dep­uty Premier John Baril­aro, also the state’s Trade Minister, was keen to stress that China was “a key international partner”.

A spokeswoman for Mr Barilaro said NSW placed tremendous value on its relationships across trade, tourism, education and research, but state exports to China were worth almost $10bn last year.

Mr McGowan said WA had carried the nation during the crisis. “But for Western Australia’s trade, and the fact that we have continued to export … the country would be in enormous trouble,’’ he said. “You can’t sell products without having customers and that is why we have been so keen to keep our relationships in place with countries around the world.”