Paul Keating returns fire at Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan

Paul Keating has hit back at former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi after she branded his claim that Taiwan was ‘Chinese real estate’ as a ‘stupid statement’.

Paul Keating has hit back at former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi after she branded his claim that Taiwan was “Chinese real estate” as a “stupid statement” and questioned his links to Beijing.

In a sharply worded statement, the former prime minister claimed the Democratic Party elder stateswoman had “very nearly brought the United States and China to a military confrontation” with a “recklessly indulgent” visit to Taiwan.

“In fact, Pelosi had to be warned by her President, Joe Biden, and with him, the Pentagon, of the military risks of her visit,” Mr Keating said in a statement titled “Pot calling the kettle black”.

“President Biden, in strong and public language directed to Pelosi said, ‘the military thinks it’s not a good idea right now’.

“But this is the same Nancy Pelosi who thinks my remarks about ‘One China’ – a policy which the whole world recognises as one country, China and Taiwan – are in some way out of line.”

Ms Pelosi, who played a key role in pressuring Mr Biden to stand down to make way for Kamala Harris, took issue with Mr Keating’s claims on the ABC’s 7.30 program last week that Taiwan was “sitting on Chinese real estate”.

“Well, you don’t wanna get my description of him for saying that,” she told the same program on Monday night.

“That’s ridiculous, it’s not Chinese real estate and he should know that. Taiwan is Taiwan and it is the people of Taiwan who have a democracy there. I think that that was a stupid statement.”

Ms Pelosi said she had “no idea about Keating”, and wondered aloud why he would make such a statement. “I don’t know what his connection is to China that he would say such a thing,” she said.

Nancy Pelosi. Picture: Getty Images

“But it is really not in the security interest of the Asia-Pacific region for people to talk that way.”

Mr Keating said the ABC should represent Australia’s interests, “rather than being excited by sensationalist comment from a person who shares not a jot of identity with Australian national interests”.

“In public comment, I represent the national interests of Australia, not the national interests of the United States nor indeed, the interests of Taiwan,” he said. “I have remarked a number of times that so-called democratic choices by Taiwan are not central or interests vital to Australia any more than, say, the absence of democratic forms in countries like Cambodia or Laos are vital to Australia.”

Mr Keating warned last week Australia was on a path to becoming a “US protectorate” in Asia when the nation should be “celebrating the rise of China”.

Anthony Albanese said Mr Keating was a “great prime minister”, but the world had moved on since he was in office. “My job as Prime Minister is to do what Australia needs in 2024,” he said. “The world is different. The world has changed between 1996 and 2024 and my government is doing what we need to do today.”