Former prime minister Scott Morrison warns China's recent 'charm and flattery' masks long-term ill intent
Mr Morrison was invited to testify before the US House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party on Wednesday, local time, in order to offer insight into how Australia dealt with hostility from Beijing.
In 2020, the former prime minister led calls for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19, sparking a backlash from Beijing which resulted in trade restrictions worth billions of dollars.
The election of the Albanese government in 2022 has since resulted in those sanctions being unwound, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeking to normalise ties and encourage economic cooperation.
However, Mr Morrison warned the thaw in relations should not be taken as a sign China had abandoned its coercive tactics.
"After the failure of the CCP's coercive efforts to break our resolve, the PRC (People's Republic of China) took advantage of the change in government following the 2022 federal election to effect a reset and adopt a different set of tactics," he told the committee.
"This included abandoning their economic and diplomatic bullying and coercion for more inductive engagement laced with charm and flattery.
"That said, the PRC still continues to engage in intimidatory behaviour by their military against Australia when it suits them, without remorse.
"While the CCP's tactics may have substantially changed, their objectives remain the same."
Mr Morrison warned that although Beijing had adopted a more conciliatory tone, which was on full display during Mr Albanese's recent visit, China remained determined to "neutralise" public support for government actions countering their activities and to overtake the US as the dominant force in the Indo-Pacific.
As a result, the former prime minister argued the US and its allies must "never become casual about the potential threat" posed by Beijing and called for more work to deepen partnerships in the region aimed at limiting China's influence.
Mr Morrison's testimony was in contrast to the tone Mr Albanese had used throughout his recent visit to Beijing.
The Prime Minister had been keen to talk up the importance of Australia's economic partnership throughout his trip, saying he wished to see an increase in investment from both countries.
Mr Albanese also spruiked a new tourism campaign which aimed to encourage Chinese citizens to holiday in Australia.
In his remarks to the US congressional committee, Mr Morrison suggested such an approach played directly into Beijing's hands.
"Recently the Lowy Institute completed a survey which found for the first time in quite a number of years there is a greater value on the economic partnership with China than concerns about the security threat," he said.
"That is an objective of the CCP, that Western democracies will go to sleep on the threat."
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