WA Premier Mark McGowan has launched a stinging attack on the federal government's attitude towards China, labeling comments from senior ministers as "insane" and "off the planet".
Key points:
- The federal approach to China is "absolute madness", the Premier says
- WA's economy remains deeply reliant on trade with the Asian nation
- Australia is providing no barrier to dialogue with China, the PM says
Mr McGowan's comments come a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for international bodies like the World Trade Organisation to be strengthened, to push back against China's increasingly assertive behaviour.
The relationship between Australia and China has soured dramatically in recent years, with a series of spats leading Beijing to put tariffs on multiple Australian products and halt dialogue.
Home Affairs Department Secretary Mike Pezzullo warned earlier this year "the drums of war are beating", while Defence Minister Peter Dutton has said a conflict with China "should not be discounted".
Relations between China and Australia have deteriorated.(
PPPSDavid: Public Domain
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Mr McGowan has previously criticised that attitude and today blasted the Commonwealth's handling of China, less than 24 hours after discussing it at a meeting with Mr Morrison in Perth.
"I have never heard something so insane in my life, this discussion about this issue," he said.
"It's absolute madness it's absolutely off the planet.
"I don't get it and I wish they stopped because it is not in our national interest in any way, shape or form."
'Australia providing no barrier': PM
Mr McGowan has repeatedly urged the federal government to do anything it can to improve relations with China, with WA's economy deeply reliant on trade with the Asian nation.
Revenue from iron ore exports to China plays a massive part in WA's financial health.(
AAP: BHP Billiton
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Beijing has previously expressed a long list of grievances with Australia that it said were barriers to better relations, including Mr Morrison's calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, banning Huawei from involvement in the 5G network rollout and accusing the government of "peddling lies" about human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
But Mr Morrison insisted it was China, not Australia, that was standing in the way of better relations.
"We are very happy to engage with them but it is a matter for China," he told 6PR radio.
"Australia is providing no barrier to dialogue with China."
Mr Morrison insisted Australia would not budge on its values to appease China, saying Beijing's grievances were unreasonable.
"They go to how Australia runs our democracy and the freedom of the press," Mr Morrison said.
"They are not matters that Australia is prepared to provide any change to, quite rightly."
