Anthony Albanese speaks out on potential war with China over Taiwan

Anthony Albanese believes Australians live in an “era of real uncertainty”, but his Government won’t heighten fears of a war with China over Taiwan “in order to score domestic political points”.

Speaking at the end of the first sitting day of the new Parliament, the Prime Minister said he didn’t want military conflict with the superpower, “and that’s why we need to do everything we can to avoid it”.

“We have a responsibility to put out the facts without raising fear that mightn’t eventuate,” Mr Albanese told ABC’s 7.30 in response to questions about whether he had a responsibility to spell out the risk of war with China.

“We need to have a sober response to the circumstances that we face. That’s what my Government is committed to doing.”

He said the proposition that the United States would pressure Australia to send its forces to protect Taiwan from invasion was a “hypothetical”, despite President Joe Biden in May saying the US would respond militarily if China invaded the island.

The White House was later forced to clarify President Biden’s remarks, which appeared to abandon the policy of “strategic ambiguity”, and Mr Albanese reiterated on Tuesday that Australia’s position on national security remained unchanged.

“I think that the Australian people are very conscious about the risks (of conflict with China), and it’s important that we lay out the challenges that are before us in the national security space, but it is also important that we don’t raise fears in order to score domestic political points,” the PM added.

In the election campaign, WA Premier Mark McGowan attacked then defence minister Peter Dutton’s “grossly irresponsible” approach to diplomatic relations with Beijing while emphasising the importance of China to WA’s economy.

Mr McGowan has expressed hope that Labor election’s win would reset Australia’s relationship with its biggest trading partner, but China’s Communist Government has so far refused to lift trade sanctions on WA exports such as wine, barley and crayfish.

Ahead of the release on Wednesday of inflation data expected to show the cost of living was rising at the fastest pace in more than three decades, Mr Albanese warned Australians faced “economic headwinds”.

“We face rising inflation. We face rising interest rates. There are real challenges there, but I’m comfortable that my Government has a plan to deal with those challenges,” he said before reiterating Labor would not adopt the Greens’ policy of banning new gas and coal projects.