Realistic Penny ­Wong clear-eyed on China threat

It is absurd for the Chinese Foreign Ministry to accuse Australia of taking “provocative and confrontational moves” in the relationship between Beijing and Canberra, and to denounce, once again, Australia’s so-called “Cold War” mentality. This from a Foreign Ministry that displays doctored photos purporting to show an Australian soldier about to slit the throat of an Afghan child.

Beijing is clearly interested in exploiting any criticism of the Morrison government’s language around China, such as that offered by Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox.

Most of this criticism is misplaced. The Morrison government has been sober and sensible on China.

It has an obligation to speak honestly on crucial issues.

Occasionally backbenchers have gone over the top.

A much more interesting critique was offered by Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, who accuses Scott Morrison of using the China issue for political purposes and of speaking irresponsibly.

All governments speak about all issues politically. That doesn’t mean they’re not telling the truth.

But it is the opposition’s job to criticise the government.

What was really interesting about Wong’s speech was the ­sustained critique she made of Beijing’s behaviour and the strong line on China she committed Labor to.

Perhaps she was using criticism of Morrison to confer political cover to criticise Beijing.

In comments as tough as Morrison’s, she rightly observes that under Xi Jinping, Beijing’s ­“assertion has often transmuted into aggression”.

She also demonstrates a clear-eyed understanding of the causes of this: “There is an ideological dimension to Xi Jinping’s nationalism — for him no less than Mao”.

She accuses Beijing of economic coercion, abrogating One Country Two Systems in Hong Kong and weakening human rights at the UN, pledges Labor to a continued strong position on the South China Sea and denounces Beijing’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” and “hysterical pronouncements from the Global Times”.

I wonder if Beijing will ­officially notice these tough-minded and deeply realistic ­comments.

Wong also accuses the Morrison government of failing to develop credible defence capa­bilities. Here, she has at least half a point.

If the situation is as threatening as Morrison government figures suggest, and it is, how is it that our new defence capabilities don’t arrive until the 2030s and that in this eye-wateringly lavish budget there was not a single new dollar for a single new capability?