1/I have always deplored Australia's aggressive stance towards China. We were right to call for an inquiry into COVID-19, but Morrison's sledgehammer tactics were a grievous error. The US can get away with it. But Australia is a small nation economically dependent on China.

2/I cannot fathom why Morrison sought to emulate Trump other than that 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery', in which case Morrison lacks an understanding of Trump as well as of China. Surely he didn't expect Trump to back him up or bail Australia out of this mess.

3/If he did, he has no business being the Prime Minister of Australia. That's no way to run your foreign relations. Any diplomatic advisor worth their salt would have warned Morrison against such aggression towards China w/out other nations' support. Pity he got rid of them all.

4/China will likely continue to punish Australia as long as Morrison remains Prime Minister. Breakdown of trade relations only hurts us, not them. Australia has a big landmass but a small population. Strategic importance only counts for so much. And 80% of our trade is w/China.

5/The only way for Morrison to repair relations w/China is to make a grovelling public apology. The Chinese government will ask for more than that but it'll be window dressing. Morrison made them lose face on the world stage; they'll want the world to see he's realised his error.