Scott Morrison fuels China election allegations: 'We're very aware'
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has appeared to double down on claims from Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews China planned its controversial Solomon Islands security deal to disrupt the Liberal Party's election campaign.
While he failed to offer any concrete evidence of such intentions that the Labor party has demanded, Mr Morrison said it was clear China had a desire to interfere in Australia's national interests.
"We're very aware of the influence that the Chinese Government seeks to have in this country," he told reporters in Tasmania on Saturday morning.
"We in fact introduced laws to prevent it.
"So any suggestion that the Chinese Government doesn't seek to interfere in Australia - well, we didn't put that legislation in for no reason.
"We put it in there to ensure that Australian security could be safeguarded from foreign influence in our own country."
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On Wednesday Ms Andrews accused China of "political interference" and asked "why now?" for the deal to be announced.
"(Beijing) is clearly very aware we are in a federal election campaign at the moment," she told 4BC Radio.
Labor reacted furiously to such claims, branding Ms Andrews "remarkably desperate and unhinged" for suggesting such intentions from Beijing.
Expert casts doubt over such intentions
Richard McGregor, a Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute, told the ABC last week while China would take great pleasure in "sticking it up Australia", he did not believe the deal was announced to target the election and would have been in drafted long before the election date announcement.
The China-Solomons deal has taken centre stage on the election campaign and has proven an unwanted distraction for the Morrison government.
China has repeatedly slammed Canberra over their response to the deal, while Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare accused Australia of hypocrisy after expressing its concerns over the deal that could bring an increased number of Chinese warships to Australia's doorstep.
Speaking before the Solomon Islands parliament, Mr Sogavare slammed Australia for not consulting with it on the terms of AUKUS and acquiring nuclear submarines.
Pressed on Saturday regarding comments from China's vice foreign minister Xie Feng that Australia's reaction amounts to "disinformation, coercion and intimidation", Mr Morrison offered a dismissive response.
"Well China would say that wouldn't they?" he responded.
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