Scott Morrison urged to call out Beijing’s behaviour by Dave Sharma

Dave Sharma says the Morrison government must be more ‘frank and honest’ in its approach to the turbulent relationship with China.

Liberal MP Dave Sharma. Picture: AAP

Dave Sharma says the Morrison government must be more “frank and honest” in its approach to the turbulent relationship with China and call out attempts by Beijing to interfere in Australia, including cyber-attacks and intimidation of diaspora communities.

The Liberal MP, who warned tensions with the communist ­nation were likely to remain over the next two decades, has outlined an eight-point strategy to manage and repair China relations, including resisting calls for “wholesale decoupling” from Beijing.

Mr Sharma — who served as ambassador to Israel — said “we need public support for the difficult road ahead”, which would ­require greater frankness from political leaders.

“We should be more open and truthful with the public about the challenges of the relationship, rather than seeking to shield them from it,” he said. “This includes being more willing to disclose ­attempts by the PRC to interfere in Australia, from large-scale ­cyberattacks to attempts to ­intimidate Chinese-Australian communities.”

Writing for the China Matters think tank, Mr Sharma called on Australia to “resist language or policy that smacks of containment”. “The PRC has a role to play in a more multipolar world, as one of the great powers. That role needs to be defined, not denied. While Beijing will never sign up fully to the liberal world order, we must find ways for it to contribute to global public goods.” he said.

With Australia-China relations plunging to new lows last week, Mr Sharma said “we cannot afford our relationship to be dysfunctional”.

“It needs to be built, step-by-step, on the basis of these new ­realities,” he said.

The Wentworth MP said China “does not control all the leverage in this relationship” and Australia must be prepared to “clearly define our red lines”.

“We should remain alert to ­opportunities to improve the tone of the relationship and avoid unnecessary antagonism. But there is no simple ‘reset’ on offer with the PRC.”

He railed against a “descent into McCarthyism” and said Australia’s Chinese communities must be viewed as “assets”.

He said security agencies needed to better engage with Australian-Chinese communities, and “actively recruit” more Mandarin speakers. “This will require a new approach to security clearances. Many candidates are being turned away and others are leaving government service because of this issue.”

In response to China’s threats targeting Australian exporters, Mr Sharma said the World Trade Organisation and other multilateral forums must be used to hold Beijing accountable for its “use of trade as a political weapon”.

He said the US should be encouraged to join Australia in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and Taiwan invited to join regardless of Beijing’s opposition. He also called for further development of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which includes Australia, India, Japan and the US, and building closer ties with Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam to support the “liberal order” in the Indo-Pacific region.

“New groups, such as a new version of a G10 grouping — the G7 plus Australia, South Korea and India — could also play an important role in managing the PRC’s rise. Australia should seek to institutionalise such a body.”

Labor MP Tim Watts, also writing for China Matters ­Explores, said “decoupling from the PRC would be an unprecedented act of national self-sabotage”.

The opposition cyber security spokesman said Australia needed to build an “independent foreign policy identity in South-East Asia”.