Prime Minister Scott Morrison says this year marks the end of certainty with more challenges ahead in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.Credit:Joe Armao
China slapped tariffs of up to 200 per cent on Australian wine this week as part of a growing dispute that threatens to touch upon up to $20 billion worth of exports.
The move followed ongoing diplomatic disputes over China's coronavirus response,human rights breaches and territorial expansion and culminated last week when theChinese embassy issued a list of 14 grievances with Australia toNine News,The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Mr Morrison,who did not directly reference the China dispute in his speech,said even though Australia had overcome the coronavirus recession better than almost every other country in the world there were still major challenges ahead.
He said between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the coronavirus pandemic,the world had enjoyed relative certainty. But that certainty was now likely at an end.
"There are great uncertainties out there. We are a resilient people and we need to be to meet those challenges which are ahead and which are even present now,"he said.
"We are now seeing and have seen for some time now the return to the uncertainties that Australia has always had to deal with.
"Global competition and tensions we see again. Strains on our rules-based order around the world.