Former Labor MP Michael Danby has sharply rebutted Paul Keating’s assessment Taiwan is of no vital interest to Australia.
His remarks follow an address given by former prime minister Paul Keating to the National Press Club on Wednesday, who gave a scathing assessment of Australia’s strategic framework regarding the Indo-Pacific region.
"I’m sorry, Taiwan is a vital trading partner of Australia and indeed the whole world," Mr Danby told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
"All of the world’s key semiconductors are produced in Taiwan – and we have a vital interest in seeing that that country is not invaded or suppressed by China."