Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison he rejected the idea that China inherently resists democracy, saying that the Chinese people value freedom as much as anyone else.
What happened: In a podcast interview with the Olympic athlete Sam FrickerMorrison, who led Australia from 2018 to 2022, expressed belief that democracy could indeed take root in China, Bloomberg reported.
“There’s a widespread view among some that, oh, you know, democracy can’t work in Chinese culture,” Morrison said. “Well, that’s crap. I’ve been to Taiwan.”
See also: Apple, Alphabet and Meta under EU investigation; Intel and AMD banned; Fed’s Bostic says rate cut
Morrison’s tenure as prime minister saw a significant downturn in Sino-Australian relations, largely due to his call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. This led Beijing to impose trade restrictions on Australian exports such as wine, barley and coal. However, relations improved following Morrison’s departure and the election of a centre-left Labor government in May 2022.
Morrison said that during his time in government, he never made a formal state visit to China, but had numerous informal meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. When asked about Xi’s personality, Morrison called him a “skillful politician”.
Because matter: Morrison’s comments come at a time when China’s international behavior is under intense scrutiny. The country has been accused of orchestrating cyberattacks against democratic institutions in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. China’s growing control over Hong Kong, as highlighted by a new security law, has also raised concerns about the city’s autonomy and its future as a global trading hub.
Additionally, the US director of national intelligence expressed concern about China’s potential use of TikTok to influence the 2024 US elections. Meanwhile, China’s top financial regulators have pledged to enforce the Party’s principles Communist in the financial sector, emphasizing the importance of serving the economy while avoiding excessive risks.
Read next: AMD and Intel face setback as China moves to ditch its own chips and Microsoft Windows in state-owned computers
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