Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned that Western democracies, including Australia, risk 'falling asleep' on the security threat posed by China. Speaking before a US House of Representatives committee on strategic competition with China, Morrison said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hopes Western nations will become complacent about the threat to international order.
Morrison noted that after he lost the 2022 election to Anthony Albanese, China shifted from economic and diplomatic bullying to a more 'inductive engagement, laced with charm and flattery'. However, he stressed that China's objectives remain unchanged: to isolate US influence in the Indo-Pacific and weaken efforts to counter Beijing's security threat.
He called on Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, arguing that the current Labor government is scrimping on defence to fund the Aukus submarine deal. Morrison claimed the US had raised concerns about Australia's defence spending parsimony during a review of the agreement, saying Aukus was meant to be an addition, not a replacement for other defence spending.
Morrison cited Lowy Institute polling showing that for the first time in years, more Australians value the economic partnership with China than are concerned about the security threat. He described this as a CCP objective, urging Western democracies to build internal resilience and appreciate the potential threat.
He also accused the CCP of seeking hegemonic control over its region and aiming to recast the world order to accommodate its illiberal objectives. Morrison dismissed the idea that dialogue would change Beijing's mindset, saying Western countries were 'kidding themselves' if they thought so.
