Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warns of potential complacency regarding the Chinese threat following diplomatic ‘charm and flattery’ | News from Australia

According to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the Chinese Communist Party hopes that Western democracies will ignore the threat it poses to the international order. Morrison made this statement before a U.S. congressional committee. He argued that China’s diplomatic strategy has changed since his loss to Anthony Albanese in the 2022 election but the party’s objectives remain the same: to undermine U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific and weaken efforts to counter Beijing’s potential security threat. Morrison called for increased defense spending from Australia to 3.5% of GDP. He criticized the current Labor government for allocating funds to the AUKS submarine deal at the expense of other defense programs. Morrison also emphasized the importance of building internal resilience against China’s attempts to interfere in politics and curb free speech. Key quotes from Morrison include: the PRC still engages in intimidatory behavior without remorse, the liberal world order faces a rising threat from authoritarian states, and Australia should raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035. The future of the AUKS nuclear submarine deal remains uncertain as the Pentagon reviews the agreement. The news also mentions Rahm Emanuel’s argument that the U.S. should lead a strong anti-coercion coalition with allies like Australia to counter Beijing’s growing influence. Emanual cited China’s trade sanctions on beef, wine, and barley as examples of economic coercion. read the full article.