Sussan Ley says Anthony Albanese needs to do more to call out Chinese navy for circumnavigating Australia

Sussan Ley says Anthony Albanese should have done more to call out the Chinese navy for its circumnavigation of Australia, saying she was “disappointed” China’s President Xi Jinping did not give his assurance that it would not happen again.

Ms Ley said Australia wanted a “respectful relationship” with China, but said the Prime Minister needed to “hold his ground”.

“We wish the Prime Minister well on his visit to China, and of course we want to see more trade and tourism,” she told Today on Thursday.

“I am disappointed that there wasn’t an assurance that we wouldn’t have a repeat of circumnavigation of our coastline, live firing, civilian aircraft having to be diverted out of that airspace.

“It’s not good enough. We want a strong, respectful relationship, but that respect has to cut both ways.

“It’s important to demand that accountability, it is important in those government-to-government conversations that the Prime Minister holds his ground.”

Mr Albanese raised the February circumnavigation and live-firing exercise with President Xi during his trip to China this week.

“I said what I said at the time, which was that it was within international law … but that we were concerned about the notice and the way that it happened, including the live-fire exercises,” Mr Albanese said.

“In response, of course, President Xi said that China engaged in exercises just as Australia engages in exercises.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday repeated it was crucial China acted in accordance with international law.

“It is much more the case that the Royal Australian Navy is in the vicinity of China than the Chinese Navy is in the vicinity of Australia,” he told the ABC.

“We’re not trying to establish some standard in the vicinity of Australia which would impede our work with the Royal Australian Navy in the vicinity of China, which is actually much more the case.

“We’re not there gratuitously; we’re there because that’s where our sea lines of communication are.

“That’s where we need to be asserting rules based order and freedom of navigation.

“It is really important that the Royal Australian Navy is able to continue its work there, so what we seek is that China . . . acts in accordance with international law.”

But Mr Ley took aim at Mr Marles, saying it was not his job to make excuses for China.

“Richard Marles’ job is not to make excuses for the Chinese Communist Party, but to actually hold them to account,” she said.

Opposition spokesman James Paterson echoed Ms Ley, saying it was “troubling” to see President Xi had played down Australia’s concerns about his flotilla’s journey.

“I’m pleased the Prime Minister raised it, but it is troubling to see that President Xi was dismissive about this, and that the People’s Liberation Army Navy can be expected to conduct more live-firing exercises like this in the future in our region without notice, just like it does around the Philippines Vietnam ... or Taiwan,” he told told Sky News.

“We’ve seen really significant escalation of military exercises around Taiwan in a way that should be troubling to all Australians because what we believe in is the preservation of the peaceful status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

“It is critically important that the Prime Minister, I hope, has used the opportunity of meeting with China’s leaders during this visit to reaffirm that with absolute clarity and unambiguously.”

Mr Paterson also claimed Mr Albanese’s trip to China, which included retracing Gough Whitlam’s steps at the Great Wall, was starting to look “a little bit indulgent”.

“I do wonder whether a Gough Whitlam history tour on the Great Wall of China, whether a visit to Chengdu to pose with some pandas, and whether a hit of tennis is strictly necessary as part of a six-day visit to China, when there is so much else at stake in our other international relationships around the world,” he said.

“And frankly, I have to say that some of this is starting to look a little bit indulgent.”

Mr Albanese’s trip has been centred on repairing business and trade ties after a diplomatic spat under the Morrison government triggered a series of damaging import bans on key commodities, which have since been lifted.