Former prime minister Tony Abbott has described China as a “bully” and stressed the importance of “solidarity with Taiwan”, while addressing a regional conference on the island.
Mr Abbott made the visit to Taiwan, where he met President Tsai Ing-wen, after a weekend in which China flew dozens of military jets near the island as part of a bid to exert power over the territory.
Mr Abbott, who is visiting Taiwan in a private capacity under a “diplomatic bubble”, said he previously “hesitated to attend this conference, lest that provoke China”, but said the superpower’s actions in recent years had changed his stance.
Ms Tsai launched the Yushan Forum, sponsored by a government-backed think tank, with a more restrained speech, omitting any direct mention of China, before Mr Abbott listed a number of transgressions in his keynote address.
“Beijing has torn up the ‘one country, two systems’ treaty on Hong Kong. It has put upwards of a million Uyghurs into concentration camps,” he said.
“It’s boosted cyber spying on its own citizens, cancelled popular personalities in favour of a cult of the red emperor, brutalised Indian soldiers in the Himalayas, coerced other claimants in its eastern seas and flown ever more intimidatory sorties against Taiwan.
“It’s weaponised trade — especially against Australia — with our barley, wine and coal exports all stopped on spurious grounds. And its embassy has published 14 demands, essentially that we become a tributary state, that no self-respecting country could accept.
“The trigger for all this was politely seeking an impartial inquiry into the origins of the [corona]virus. So this year I’m here having concluded that China’s belligerence is all self-generated.”
Mr Abbott then referred to the positives, including China’s economic growth and former steps Australia took to help include China in the global order, saying “collaboration is still possible, and trust could yet be rebuilt”.
“Be a friend, that experience shows, and you’ll have friends; be a bully and you’ll only have clients who can’t wait to escape,” he said.
Chinese leaders have said they are determined to unite the Taiwan and the mainland, by force if necessary. But Mr Abbott said ensuring Taiwan’s self-determination was vital.
“Nothing is more pressing right now than solidarity with Taiwan,” he said.
“Our challenge is to try and ensure that the unthinkable remains unlikely and that the possible does not become the probable.
“That’s why Taiwan’s friends are so important now, to stress that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its own people and to let Beijing know any attempt at coercion would have incalculable consequences.”
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