Concerns over China’s ‘lifelines’ for Russia

AUSTRALIA has warned Beijing not to follow in Russia’s footsteps as the Ukraine invasion enters its second week.

An emergency meeting of the Quad leaders – Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his US, Japanese and Indian counterparts – was called overnight amid mounting concerns about Indo-Pacific implications from the conflict.

Concerns that regional autocratic regimes – most specifically China – could follow in Russia’s footsteps in disregarding sovereignty and territorial integrity have been further heightened after reports Beijing had asked Moscow to delay its invasion until after the Winter Olympics.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton had earlier this week called on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to pressure his Russian peer Vladimir Putin, saying he was “the only person” Mr Purin might listen to.

Mr Morrison on Friday cautioned against “conflating the issues of Taiwan and Ukraine”, but conceded there was “real concern” about a distinctive alignment between Mr Xi and Mr Putin.

“Australia has a very clear understanding of the implications if China was to seek to realise its ambitions with Taiwan. Autocratic regimes don’t play by the same rules as liberal democracies,” he said.

“We’ve got to call out (this distinctive alignment). At a time when Russia is invading another country (and other countries have imposed sanctions on them), China has sought to ease trade restrictions and throw Russia a lifeline.

“We want to see the world not throw Russia a lifeline … not easing restrictions like

China is. I’m not saying this to be provocative, but we have to call these things out. We can’t pretend that these things aren’t going on. We’ve got a clear-eyed view about what’s going on in the region.”

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne was asked about the reports of invasion collusion and said that was ultimately for “China to respond to”.

“But to be very clear, any collaboration on this illegal, unjustified and unprovoked Russian invasion would be deeply concerning,” she said.

“And similarly, we are concerned by apparent increasing co-operation between authoritarian regimes around the world.”

The overnight Quad meeting was in part brought about because India had abstained from two key United Nations votes seeking to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Morrison was unequivocal in differentiating China and India on Friday morning, saying India was on the side of the West.

“India is seeking to ensure this violence ends … They are not throwing Russia (any) lifelines,” he said.