Sunday 7 August 2022 04:25 AM Australia and China tension returns as Beijing lashes out at Penny Wong over ... trends now
China has lashed out at Penny Wong after she condemned the Communist regime for firing 11 ballistic missiles over Taiwan.
The aggressive military exercises were part of a dummy spit response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which China claims jurisdiction over.
Foreign Minister Wong said China's sabre rattling, which also included launching missiles near Japan, were 'disproportionate and destabilising'.
'We are seriously concerned and strongly discontent with the remarks on the situation across the Taiwan Strait by the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan and the Secretary of State of the US,' China's Embassy in Canberra said in response.
China has slammed Australia's Foreign Affairs minister Penny Wong (pictured) for daring to criticise it for firing ballistic missiles over Taiwan.
'It is absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on China's justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
'We firmly oppose and sternly condemn this.'
The embassy also brought up 60-year-old history between Australia and Japan to argue Senator Wong should not take its side.
'Australia was also the victim of Japan's fascists in World War II,' it said. 'Japan is the only country that launched a military attack on the Australian mainland.'
Australia and Japan have become close strategic partners in the past two decades, and cooperate to counter China's aggression in the region.
Senator Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on the sidelines of an ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Cambodia this week.
'The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' Australia, Japan and US's most senior diplomats said in a joint statement.
'They appreciated ASEAN's statement about the importance of de-escalating tension in the Taiwan Strait.
'They condemned the People's Republic of China's launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones, raising tension and destabilising the region.
'The secretary and the foreign ministers urged the PRC to immediately cease the military exercises.'
Chinese anti-aircraft batteries take part in military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan, which it claims belongs to it
Beijing's threatening stance over Taiwan and Japan is Australia's biggest diplomatic dispute since Labor won power at the Federal Election on May 21.
China's military tantrum was after Ms Pelosi, 82, visited Taiwan for an overnight trip, making her the highest ranking American official to do so in decades.
Her visit showed the US was 'the biggest saboteur and destabiliser of peace in the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability,' a Chinese diplomat claimed.
'It is the US that should be condemned. China is the victim of political provocation from the US,' China's Canberra embassy added.
Cabinet minister Chris Bowen backed up Senator Wong after China's stern response, saying Australia would remain clear and calm in its interactions with China but not shy away from calling the nation out.
'China's reaction to (Ms Pelosi's visit) is over the top... obviously it is a time for clear and calm heads,' the climate change minister told 9 News on Sunday.
'We're going to act in Australia's national
