The Chinese Foreign Ministry has accused Scott Morrison of "clamouring for confrontation" in Ukraine as the Prime Minister intensifies his attacks on both China and Russia over the looming threat of war.
On Sunday, Mr Morrison said China that remained "chillingly silent on Russian troops amassing on the Ukrainian border", suggesting that Beijing had given Moscow tacit approval for an invasion.
And Mr Morrison intensified his attack this morning, suggesting China's position on Ukraine makes a mockery of its constant proclamations that it wants stability and peace.
"When you have a large country, in our own region, that suggests they want peace and harmony and yet are not prepared to call out the actions of an autocratic state that wants to the violate the territorial sovereignty of their neighbour, then that is very concerning. Chilling," he told radio station 2SM.
"I'm calling that out."
Mr Morrison's accusations drew a sharp retort from China's Foreign Ministry on Monday evening, with its spokesman, Wang Wenbin, calling Mr Morrison's criticisms "dangerous".
"We urge the Australian side to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias and stop making belligerent rhetoric that will escalate the tensions," he told reporters in Beijing.
"Such acts of seeking selfish political gains by clamouring for confrontation are unethical and dangerous."
Morrison claims China wants ALP in government
Mr Morrison has also been ratcheting-up his attacks on Labor, repeatedly calling the opposition "soft" on Beijing and national security, despite a broad bipartisanship on most key China policies.
The Defence Minister Peter Dutton drew a furious response from the ALP when he declared in parliament last week that China's government had picked Labor leader Anthony Albanese as their "candidate".
On Monday, the Speaker ruled that claim out of order.
But this morning, Mr Morrison also claimed that China's government wants the Coalition to lose the approaching federal election, while accusing the ALP of trying to pacify Beijing.
"I can tell you what … the countries coercing us, I know they don't want to see the Liberal government re-elected. I know they're not having a one-way bet [on us], they're having a one way bet on others," he told radio station 2GB.
"We are in a very uncertain and challenging world and there is no time for weakness."
Mr Morrison's attacks come as global tensions over Ukraine continue to grow, with the Biden administration warning that Russia could launch an invasion at "any time".
The Prime Minister also said an invasion was "potentially imminent", telling 2SM there was a "real risk" of war.
But, he also stressed, there was no certainty of conflict.
Rudd hits back over 'smears'
The opposition has accused the government of shamelessly trying to exploit tensions with China – as well as the looming prospect of conflict with Russia — for domestic political gain.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd also lashed the Coalition at a press conference this morning, pointing out that the Liberal Party had leased Darwin Port to a Chinese company, attempted to ratify an extradition treaty with China and signed the 2014 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Beijing.
"I don't use the term 'appeasement' lightly. But when you look at the Liberal Party record over more than a decade, there's no other way to describe it but appeasement," Mr Rudd said.
"And I will not stand idly by while Dutton smears the Labor Party as somehow soft on China.
