Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged the federal government to review Australia’s long-standing One China policy.
Mr. Morrison visited Taiwan on Oct. 10, the National Day of the Republic of China (ROC).
In a speech at Taipei, he said Australia would stand firmly with Taiwan to keep the peace and freedom of the Taiwanese people free from any threat of force or aggression.
Australia follows the United States’ strategic ambiguity policy when it comes to Taiwan, where leadership will neither confirm or deny whether the country will come to Taiwan’s military aid if the self-governed island is attacked. It emphasises more on protecting the status quo and safeguarding against conflict in the region.
Under the One China policy, the Australian government also does not recognise Taiwan as a country but retains unofficial ties through the promotion of trade and cultural interests.
Mr. Morrison urged the federal government for a “modernised One China framework,” arguing the current arrangement is inadequate to protect the status quo against an increasingly assertive and authoritarian communist regime under Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The former prime minister participated in the seventh Yushan Forum held in Taipei on Oct. 11-12, with the theme of “Opening a New Blueprint for Asia’s Development.”
Beijing’s “incessant threatening of Taiwan” coupled with the island’s successful pathway towards democracy puts pressure on the one-China policy, Mr. Morrison said.
He added that the Taiwanese people would never willingly choose to subjugate themselves to Beijing’s controlling tactics as has aggressively strengthened its stranglehold on freedom since the initial policy was agreed to 50 years ago.
Any occupation would allow Beijing to project its military might beyond the first island chain and deeper into the Pacific region, and any violation or subjugation of Taiwan would “obliterate” the balance in the region, “radically altering the security environment within the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Concerned About Beijing During Time in Office
Talking about Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, Mr. Morrison believes it would “reset the balance of the international order in favour of autocracy and authoritarianism.”“No place could be more central to the cause of liberty and democracy, at this time, than Taiwan, including even Ukraine, where war continues to rage,” he said.
“When my government took the decision for Australia to swiftly provide lethal support to assist Ukraine, following the illegal invasion by Russia, this was as much a decision to support Ukraine, as it was to demonstrate our alignment with a global western resolve to resist the aggression of authoritarianism, especially given the tacit endorsement of the invasion by Beijing, that continues to this day.
“I was as concerned about Beijing as I was about Moscow.”
He further mentioned that there was a lot of chaos and uncertainty around the world at the moment.
Mr. Morrison said that in addition to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the recent terrorist attacks in the Middle East were also heartbreaking. Thus, boosting Taiwan’s ability to defend itself both militarily and economically was more urgent.
Taiwan Looking Forward to More Bilateral Cooperation
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she hopes Taiwan and Australia would continue to expand cooperation based on the existing foundation and jointly safeguard the freedom and prosperity of the region.In her speech, Ms. Tsai thanked the former prime minister for his longstanding attention and support for Taiwan.
She pointed out that in 2020, when Mr. Morrison served as Australian prime minister, the Australia-U.S. ministerial consultations issued a joint statement in which the situation in the Taiwan Strait was mentioned. Since then, statements following high-level meetings between Australia and other countries have often reiterated the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait.
In September, Ms. Tsai also met with cross-party members of the Australian Parliament at the Taiwanese presidential office. The Australian legislators agreed that Australia and Taiwan share a common goal of safeguarding a stable, sustainable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
CCP Ambassador Criticize Morrison for Taiwan Visit
Xiao Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Australia, criticised Mr. Morrison on Oct. 11 for visiting Taiwan, warning that it was a “serious concern” and may impact on China-Australia relations.“We appreciate that each and every government in this country has publicly stated they are committed to the One China policy,” he said. “And we hope this policy will be practised not only in words but also in deeds.”
