“No. Australians can always rely on the Liberals and the Nationals,the Coalition government,to do what’s right in Australia’s national security interests,” he told reporters.

Senator Wong slammed Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s recent warning that war with China over Taiwan could not be discounted and Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo’s claim that “the drums of war” were beating,saying they were part of a strategy of “deliberately encouraging anxiety about conflict”.

She also criticised Mr Morrison’s recent error in describing Australia’s position on Taiwan as “One Country,Two Systems” – a reference to China’s governance of Hong Kong – when Australia’s position is to recognise a “one-China policy” on Taiwan.

Michael Shoebridge,director of the defence and national security program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute,said Senator Wong’s speech was “extremely thoughtful and worthwhile on the structural relationship with China” such as countering foreign interference. But Mr Shoebridge said the senior Labor frontbencher committed the same offence that she accused Mr Morrison of doing by launching a political attack.

“Instead of ‘One Country,Two Systems’,it was ‘One Spokesperson,Two Speeches’,” he said.

“She was deeply right in emphasising the need for structural bipartisanship on China policy,and that made it rather surprising that she then spent so much time in political division around China policy. And you can’t really walk both sides of the street.”

Senator Wong said in her speech that Australia needed to better work with the rest of the region to manage the China relationship. The Malaysian-born MP said this was difficult for the Liberal Party,which had “always been awkward in Asia”,while the region was “in Labor’s DNA – in my case,literally”.

Senator Wong also called on the government to better fund Chinese language broadcasting on SBS and the ABC to ensure “agreater plurality of Chinese media voices in this country”. Some Chinese language media organisations in Australia have been linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

“One suggestion that has been put to me – and one Peter makes himself – is to better fund Chinese language broadcasting on SBS and the ABC,so there is a greater plurality of Chinese media voices in this country,” she said.

“Chinese-Australians who have experienced rising racism and suspicion need greater leadership and protection from the Morrison government;consistent,vocal support for the inclusion of diaspora communities.

“It means greater China literacy and Asia capability in Australia to inform and integrate our policy settings.”