“Other countries have taken a more neutral position; I understand the reasons for that [but] Australia has not done so; we are all with Ukraine.
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“But the Chinese government took a very different position, even to the point of continuing the trade embargoes that other countries were putting on to buy Russian wheat.
“Australia sells wheat to the world: when you buy Russian wheat instead of Australian wheat at a time when Russia is invading another country and committing war crimes, these things do not align me and I do not think of just people and lovers of freedom “.
Wheat accounts for about half of Australia’s total grain production, according to the GrainGrowers State of the Australian Grains Industry 2021 report.
Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter, accounting for 18% of exports over the five years to 2020. This compares to Australia’s eight per cent global share.
Ukraine accounted for 10 percent of the world’s grain supply before the war and there are currently negotiations between the UN, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to let Ukrainian exports flow, amid concern over rising wheat prices and the fam.
The war-torn country has also accused Russia of stealing its grain.
Morrison said the illegal invasion of Russia had implications outside of Europe, a veiled reference to fears that Beijing could be inspired to move to Taiwan if Putin was successful or could break the Western decision.
Morrison stressed that Australia had no problem dealing with communist regimes, saying it dealt well with Vietnam and that the difference with China was that it behaved in an increasingly autocratic and assertive manner.
He said that while all countries should diversify their trade, Australia would continue to depend on Chinese exports.
“We were not in the economic restraint of the China club, that was not our purpose, it was not our goal,” he said during a question and answer session.
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“Australia was a great beneficiary of our trade relationship with China … I suspect it will continue to be our largest trading partner for a long time to come.”
In his prepared statements at the forum, Morrison blamed his election loss on difficulties related to the management of federalism and a cohesive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.