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‘Certainly feels’ like we’re in a Cold War with China, says Morrison
In a new podcast episode with Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, Defence Connect, former prime minister Scott Morrison argues that the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America are already in a “Cold War under a different guise”.
Robert Dougherty
Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Defence Connect.
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The 30th prime minister of Australia, who stepped down from politics in February this year, spoke exclusively with Defence Connect during a podcast this week regarding the domestic defence industry, the AUKUS trilateral partnership, Australia’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China, a possible return to the US presidency for Donald Trump and his own time away from Parliament House.
Morrison also discussed his new role as non-executive vice chairman at American Global Strategies and as an adviser with venture capital firm DYNE.
“It is now the orthodox position in the United States that China is a strategic competitor, to put it most diplomatically,” he said during the podcast recorded on 7 May and set to be released on 9 May.
“Are we in a cold war with the People’s Republic of China? Well, you know academics will debate that endlessly. But I tell you that it certainly feels like it, and I think a lot of the signs that you see in sort of a classic cold war definition are evident.
“It’s different to what we saw with the Soviets (Soviet Union), and I think because people’s experience of a cold war is really only in the Soviet context. That is one form of a cold war, but they take many different sorts of guises.”
“When you think about the PRC, is there an ideological difference between what they’re seeking to pursue globally and what our sphere does? Is it universal? Is it multi-theatre and multi-domain? Certainly, when I look at what a cold war is, there are many similar features.”
The comments follow a recent incident announced by Defence after a Chinese J-10 fighter jet dropped flares 300 metres in front of a Royal Australian Navy Seahawk on Saturday (4 May), forcing the crew to rapidly take evasive action.
The RAN MH-60R was launched from HMAS Hobart as part of Operation Argos, Australia’s contribution to the effort to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea. No injuries were sustained by Australian Defence Force personnel or damage caused to the MH-60R. Both countries are blaming the other for causing the incident.
In a prior altercation between the two countries, a Chinese J-16 cut across the nose of a RAAF P-8 Poseidon over the South China Sea. Then, the J-16 accelerated so close a “bundle of chaff” was ingested into the Australian aircraft’s engine. At that time, the Australian government alleged that the Chinese J-16 “accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at very close distance”.
The full podcast interview with Scott Morrison, Australia’s 30th prime minister, will be available shortly.
