China blasts ex-Australian PM Tony Abbott’s ‘highly irresponsible’ Taiwan remarks
- Foreign ministry spokesman says he ‘wantonly interfered with China’s internal affairs and smeared China’
- Abbott had taken aim at Beijing’s ‘growing belligerence’ towards the self-ruled island and called for international support
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday said Beijing had lodged a solemn representation with Australia over the remarks.
“The relevant politician has … wantonly interfered with China’s internal affairs and smeared China, which is highly immoral and highly irresponsible, and sure to be unpopular,” Zhao said during a regular briefing.
He also called on Australian politicians to “abandon their Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, respect the facts, rationally view China and China’s rise, and stop issuing irresponsible remarks”.
02:23
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen says island 'will not bow' to mainland China
In his speech on Friday, Abbott said it was not Australia that was beating the “drums of war”.
“The only drums we beat are for justice and freedom – freedom for all people, in China and in Taiwan, to make their own decisions about their lives and their futures,” he said.
“But that’s not how China sees it, as its growing belligerence to Taiwan shows. Sensing that its relative power might have peaked, with its population ageing, its economy slowing, and its finances creaking, it’s quite possible that Beijing could lash out disastrously very soon.”
Abbott said Australia needed to prevent the possibility of war and called for support for Taiwan.
“That’s why Taiwan’s friends are so important now: to stress that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its own people and to let Beijing know that any attempt at coercion would have incalculable consequences.”
Asked about the trip, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Abbott was visiting in a personal capacity and that there was no coordination with the government.
