Australia news live: Wong urges China not to arm Russia; Clare O’Neil slams ‘politicisation of national security’

Foreign affairs minister tells Beijing the world looks to it for ‘responsible leadership’ on Ukraine. Follow live

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The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has urged China not to supply weapons to Russia, after she met with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in India yesterday. She said she also raised trade issues, human rights and consular cases.

Wong’s meeting was with Qin Gang, who has been serving as China’s foreign minister since late 2022. Wong previously held talks with then-minister Wang Yi in Beijing in December, following earlier meetings on the sidelines of last year’s G20 and UN general assembly events. Wong told reporters in New Delhi after the latest meeting:

I will continue to assert that both parties [Australia and China] can grow our bilateral relationship while safeguarding our national interests if we both navigate our differences wisely. I was grateful for the opportunity to engage on important matters including trade, human rights and consular matters as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

I’ve previously said that the world does look to China for its responsible leadership when it comes to Ukraine, particularly given its closely relationship with Russia. I would note that President Zelenskiy himself has said he wants to believe that China will do the right thing and not supply weapons to Russia - and that is not only Australia’s call but the call of all countries.