SYDNEY, June 21. /TASS/. The aftermath of any war over Taiwan and the economic downturn that would follow any such conflict would be far more severe than what Europe is now experiencing because of the situation in Ukraine, former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday.

According to him, any war that could be sparked by "a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would dwarf the Ukraine conflict." "The economic disruption caused by a war over Taiwan would be hard to conceive and would make COVID-19 look like a ‘headache.’" Morrison said, as quoted by South Korean SBS TV. "In terms of the geostrategic economic implications of what would occur in Taiwan versus Ukraine? Well, it's a factor of 50," he emphasized.

The former prime minister's statements followed the publication of a report by the Lowy Institute, one of Australia's most respected think tanks. It found that 65% of the continent's residents believe a military conflict between the United States and the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan is inevitable. "While wholly supportive of Canberra’s alliance with Washington (80% of respondents said that this cooperation is vital for Australia - TASS), Australians are wary that being a party to the pact could draw the nation into war in Asia. In the event of a military conflict between the US and China, 56% of respondents say Australia should remain neutral despite eight in ten seeing the alliance as important to Australia's own security," the report states.