Dutton dials back language on Australia defending Taiwan in a potential war with China

When pressed on whether he still thought it was inconceivable that Australia would not support the US in an action over Taiwan, Peter Dutton said the government would take the action that was ‘in our country’s best interests’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Peter Dutton has stepped back from his earlier prediction that Australia would join a conflict to defend Taiwan, saying the government would decide “at that time as to what was in our country’s best interests”.

The defence minister also said the strength of the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had “significantly wounded” the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and hoped this would prompt China’s Xi Jinping to reassess the costs of aggressive action against Taiwan.