Democracy at odds with China line

The Prime Minister is arguing there could be a better relationship with China if there is recognition there are some demands a democracy can never accept.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a visit to the White House to meet with US President Joe Biden and attend a QUAD leaders meeting in September. Picture: Adam Taylor

Scott Morrison is arguing that there could be a better relationship with China if there was recognition there are some demands a democracy can never accept, after getting strong support for Australia’s stand in Washington last week.

Congress and Senate leaders backed the Prime Minister in the diplomatic and trade war with Beijing after hearing details of a list of Chinese demands, including muzzling the media, dropping foreign investment checks and calling for an inquiry into the origin of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Morrison said congressional leaders asked him “what have you done to deserve” the Chinese public attacks and were surprised to see the 14 demands issued from the Chinese embassy last year.

“I always finished by saying which country would acquiesce on any of these things,” Mr Morrison told The Australian.

“This isn’t about not engaging with China. I want to engage with China but, in a way that doesn’t require acquiescence on a whole range of things that a liberal democracy can never acquiesce to.”

During his five-day trip to the US, Mr Morrison publicly raised the issue of the Covid outbreak inquiry and the need for reform of the World Health Organisation in relation to China.

US congressional Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Mr Morrison for his leadership on China at a meeting with senior congress members at the Capitol Building last week.

“What I think will produce a better relationship with China with democracies like ours is a better understanding of where the clear lines are, democracies have lines we can never cross,” he said.

But he also said that having different systems “shouldn’t impede a relationship, everyone should just try and stay within the lines”.

“No one is looking at changing how any country is run, no-one is looking to contain any country and their economic growth. I have been very clear … over many years I have never believed we should seek to contain China’s economic growth.”