Scott Morrison will issue a grim warning in a major foreign policy speech today, saying the world faces dangerous uncertainty.
Scott Morrison will warn global leaders today that the risk of conflict involving China is rising as the world faces a period of uncertainty not confronted since the 1930s.
In a significant foreign policy speech, the Prime Minister will back the US calls for a fresh investigation into the origins of Covid-19, including claims that it may have escaped from a Wuhan lab conducting coronavirus research.
Calling on free nations to work as one as they did during the Cold War to fight authoritarianism, the Prime Minister will also renew his calls for a rules-based overhaul of global trade rules to prevent China’s ongoing threats to Australian exports.
“There is much at stake for Australia, our region, and the world. We are living in a time of great uncertainty not seen since the 1930s,” Mr. Morrison will say.
“We are facing heightened competition in the Indo-Pacific region. We need all nations to participate in the global system in ways that foster development and cooperation. Australia stands ready to engage in dialogue with all countries on shared challenges, including China, when ready. “Patterns of cooperation within a liberal, rules-based order that has benefited us for so long are under renewed strain.”
But his strong call for action on the origins of the Covid pandemic that is most likely to inflame diplomatic relations with China. I strongly support President Biden’s recent statement that we need to bolster and accelerate efforts to identify the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mr. Morrison will say.
“Having led calls for an independent inquiry, Australia’s firm view remains that understanding the cause of this pandemic is essential for preventing the next one, for the benefit of all people.”
The prime minister’s early call for action sparked a wave of trade spats with China in recent years over barley, wine, and seafood exports.
As Mr. Morrison prepares to head overseas for this weekend’s Group of Seven leaders’ summit in Cornwall, he will warn that the World Trade Organisation must enforce trade rules to stop economic coercion.
“A well-functioning WTO that sets clear rules arbitrates disputes objectively and efficiently and penalizes bad behavior when it occurs: this can be one of the most powerful tools the international community has to counter economic coercion,” he will say.
“In my discussions with many leaders, I have taken great encouragement from the support shown for Australia’s preparedness to withstand economic coercion in recent times. The most practical way to address financial pressure is to restore the binding dispute settlement system of the global trading body.
“Where there are no consequences for coercive behavior, there is little incentive for restraint.”
