The Prime Minister in 2019 claimed Australia should embrace Chinese investment and its Belt and Road scheme, despite security concerns over the 99-year lease of the Port of Darwin years before.
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A war of words has erupted between both major parties following the inked Solomon Islands-China security pact, with Scott Morrison using Friday's press conference to attack deputy Labor leader Richard Marles for comments that it was "silly" for Pacific Nations to not engage with the economic superpower.
Regional concerns have also coincided with further defence spending pledges, targeting three Labor-held marginal seats.
Mr Morrison while touring a defence manufacturing facility west of Brisbane reiterated China's posture had changed under Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"I remain concerned as I have been for years and years and years, about the Chinese government's intentions within our region," he said.
"You cannot compromise when you're standing up to an authoritarian government that is seeking to impose its will on the region."
The Prime Minister's rhetoric towards the opposition as weak on China, comes in wakes of resurfaced comments he made in a 2019 address to an Asialink summit, saying Australia should embrace more investment from China.
His comments also alluded support for China's controversial belt and road initiative.
"We welcome Chinese investment. We have welcomed it for decades," Mr Morrison said in June 2019.
"The infrastructure needs of the region are enormous and Australia welcomes the contribution that the Belt and Road initiative can make to regional infrastructure investment and to regional development."
The comments to the summit are four years after the lease of the Port of Darwin was made to a company with links to the Chinese Communist Party, which has raised numerous security concerns since.
Comments made by the Prime Minister in 2017 also state that "China provides a real stability to the region".
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China in 2020 began slapping import tariffs on a number of Australian commodities including, seafood, wine and barley.
The tariffs were believed to be in response to Australia's call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
Mr Morrison on Friday toured the marginal electorate of Blair, held by Labor's Shayne Neumann, to spruik a $428 million investment to upgrade four airbases.
Three of which fall into Labor-held marginal seats the Coalition is eyeing off. Aside from the Queensland seat of Blair, commitments were also made to the airbases in Gilmore, Macquarie and Pearce.
The funding is amid further pork barrelling allegations made against the federal government, with the Prime Minister evading questions on Thursday whether grant schemes were being used as Liberal Party slush funds.
ACM revealed $116.6 million in Community Development Grants had been allocated between the budget and the calling of the federal election, with the majority of projects situated in marginal or hotly-contested electorates.
He responded on Thursday with "I just don't buy it".
Finn McHugh
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
Finn McHugh has been federal political reporter for The Canberra Times since July 2021. He joined the Canberra Press Gallery in 2019 where he was executive producer of Sky News's AM Agenda, before joining NCA NewsWire as a federal political reporter. He has previously interned at the Kuwait Times.
