Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have refused to wade into a war of words after China responded to Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei by carrying out a missile exercise in Taiwanese waters.
Ms Pelosi became the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years when she touched down on Tuesday, saying she was there to cement “America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy".
Mr Albanese on Friday said Australia and China needed to ensure peaceful relationships continued in the Asia-Pacific region. “We would encourage all parties to consider how they can contribute to de-escalating the current situation,” she said. "It is an ugly political stunt through and through. In this ugly stunt, democracy has been reduced to a cheap tool and a pretext that the US habitually uses.
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