Prime Minister Morrison said that Australia and the rest of the world need to get used to the Sino-US trade war.
The two big powers continue their tariff disputes, and Trump earlier this month said it would impose tariffs on Chinese goods such as mobile phones worth $300 billion.
Morrison said this morning before going to the French seaside town of Biarritz to attend the G7 summit.
He said that negotiations between Washington and Beijing are continuing, but the results are not satisfactory.
“I was more confident when I went to the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina last year, and things did have some progress, but then I went back.” Morrison told the 7th station.
“There was an effort to correct the reversing at the G20 summit in Osaka, but we all saw what happened since then.”
“So I think we have to get used to this situation, this tension, we have to adapt, we have to absorb, and find opportunities in this situation, there are actually many opportunities.”
Morrison said that the US’s views on China’s actions are justified, and because Beijing’s success in the past few decades has promoted these pressures.
“Why do we want to limit China’s development? This is a very stupid thing.”
“I think the purpose of dealing with China is to let them get the kind of economic maturity and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.”
“After achieving the critical mass of economic performance, then it applies to all of us, and the rules applicable to the United States also apply to China.”
And rule-based order applies to how to use technology, form partnerships, make payments, and reduce emissions, etc. I mean we should all use the same rules.”
Australia has a tightrope between its largest trading partner, China, and its most important security ally, the United States.
Https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-20/scott-morrison-says-world-should-get-used-to-us-china-trade-war/11430766