Penny Wong urges calm after China criticises her response to aggression in Taiwan Strait

Penny Wong has called for the temperature to be lowered following the Chinese Embassy’s criticism of her ‘unacceptable’ statement condemning Beijing’s behaviour.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has refused to respond to a Chinese blast accusing her of “finger pointing” over its military brinkmanship with Taiwan, saying it is critical “the temperature is lowered and calm is restored”.

A day after the Chinese Embassy attacked her “absolutely unacceptable” statement condemning China’s behaviour in the Taiwan Strait, Senator Wong said Australia urged restraint and de-escalation.

“Australia is not the only country that is concerned about escalation. The region is concerned about escalation and the region is concerned about the risk of conflict,” she said.

“We will continue to, in a calm and considered way, articulate our national interests. And our interests are the interests of the region, and that is, (for) de-escalation.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong will not call in Ambassador Xiao Qian to convey Australia’s views directly to Beijing. Picture: NCA NewsWire

China fired at least 11 ballistic missiles towards Taiwan and Japan in the wake of a historic visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the weekend.

Senator Wong joined her US and Japanese counterparts last week in declaring China’s actions “gravely affect international peace and stability”.

But she said on Monday she would not call in Ambassador Xiao Qian to convey Australia’s views directly to Beijing.

“I will express my views publicly. If there are to be discussions with the ambassador it will generally be at departmental level,” she said.

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy said it was “absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on China’s justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“We firmly oppose and sternly condemn this,” the embassy said.

“It is the US that should be condemned. China is the victim of political provocation from the US.”

Senator Wong said Australia’s and the region’s concerns were “around, particularly, the risks of escalating military activity”.

Her trilateral statement with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa said China’s deployment of ballistic missiles around Taiwan had raised tensions and destabilised the region.

Senator Wong appeared at a press conference in Canberra with Latvian Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs, after a bilateral meeting between the pair.

She was also due to meet with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who is in Australia after attending commemorations in Solomon Islands for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal.