Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has issued a cautionary message to the United States regarding the AUKUS agreement, amid growing concerns surrounding China’s rising influence. The trilateral defence pact with Australia and the UK is currently under Pentagon review, with officials wary of its impact on the US’s strategic positioning against China.
Morrison, a pivotal architect of the AUKUS framework, recently testified before a congressional committee, emphasising that Australia must maintain a vigilant approach to security threats. He articulated the fundamental ideological divide between authoritarian regimes like China and the values of democratic nations, asserting that discussions are unlikely to yield a change in Beijing’s aggressive objectives.
During his tenure from 2018 to 2022, Morrison’s government adopted a confrontational stance towards China, which included calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, leading to significant diplomatic tensions and trade tariffs imposed on Australian goods. He expressed confidence in the firmness of his administration’s position against China, claiming it served as a model of resilience rather than succumbing to appeasement.
In his testimony, Morrison also critiqued the Albanese government for scaling back defence funding while still committing a portion of GDP to defence investments aim to increase by 2033. He noted the $368 billion pledge for AUKUS over three decades, reiterating that AUKUS was meant to complement, not replace, existing defence commitments.
Morrison stressed the importance of maintaining a comprehensive defence strategy, highlighting that the security landscape requires an integrated approach rather than isolated initiatives. He reiterated that Australia must be proactive in countering potential threats rather than becoming complacent or overly reliant on discussions with adversarial regimes.