Television Interview, Sunrise

SUBJECTS: Australia-China relationship

HOST, MONIQUE WRIGHT: Well, China has rolled out a red carpet reception all week long for our PM, Anthony Albanese. But one meeting has now turned contentious over Canberra's view of Taiwan. In a statement, China claimed that the PM reaffirmed to President Xi Australia's commitment to the one China policy and its opposition to Taiwan independence. But that is not how the Prime Minister saw it, later clarifying that Australia supports the status quo. For more, we're joined now by the Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles. Morning to you. Thanks for being with us. Taiwan, of course, of major importance to the US. Are you worried about how all this is being received by the White House?

ACTING PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Look, we have a very good relationship with the United States. Of course, the alliance is the cornerstone of our strategic policy, our foreign policy. America is our most important relationship. At the same time, our relationship with China obviously matters. It's complex, it's challenging, but it benefits from having engagement. And I think America understands that, they engage with China. And what we're doing here with the Prime Minister's visit in China right now is part of the annual leaders dialogue that we do with China every year. And we've got a lot of equities in our relationship with China and it's important that we engage in terms of managing them.

WRIGHT: Okay, let's talk about AUKUS now because the Pentagon has been pushing Australia for a commitment of support in any potential conflict with China over Taiwan. That's not something that the US government would ever give a guarantee on, would it, whether they would go into conflict?

MARLES: Well, look, there's been a lot of reporting on this. I'm not about to speculate on that, nor engage in hypotheticals about the future. I think what's important in terms of AUKUS is we are seeking to acquire a nuclear powered submarine capability, a long range submarine capability for our nation in the future. That's very important for Australia, but that's in America's strategic interest as well, because we work very closely with America now. We always have, we will in the future. And so they are supporting us, of course, through AUKUS in acquiring this capability. But this will be a sovereign Australian capability. That's what the agreement that we have with both the United States and the United Kingdom provides. And what will occur with our submarines in the future will be a decision of a future Australian government.

WRIGHT: Okay, does it, does it matter that the US might be cranky that we're not willing to make that commitment?

MARLES: I think countries understand that each other ultimately make decisions about their military engagement based on their own national interest. I mean, of course, that is what occurs. But what we also know in terms of our relationship with the United States is that it is deep, it is long. We have been side by side with America in every conflict over the last century. You know that history matters now. It doesn't mean that you give up your sovereign rights in the future. Of course, we will make our own decisions about our own assets based on what a future Australian government says. And that's, of course, what America will do with its own decisions. And everyone understands that. But we've got a long relationship. We have an alliance with each other. And it's in as good a shape today as it's ever been.

WRIGHT:  All right. Well, Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, let's hope that the PM can get that face-to-face with Donald Trump that is desperately needed. Thank you for your time this morning.

MARLES: Pleasure.

ENDS

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