"Every country makes their own decisions and just because we don't make the same decision doesn't mean we're at odds," the Minister said. "I’m personally hoping to see Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif at a conference in Bangladesh next month, which is also an opportunity to continue our talks.” Loading Asked by Insiders' stand-in host Fran Kelly why Australia was "signing up to yet another US-led mission" at a time of "a rising and assertive China", Ms Payne said Australia had "a very strong interest in de-escalating the tensions" and that the action was "appropriate and reasonable". Australia joined the US mission after an Iranian tanker with 29 crew was seized with help from British forces on July 4 after Gibraltar, which is a British territory, said the ship was about to breach European Union sanctions by heading to Syria.

Ms Payne spoke carefully about China, refusing to confirm that earlier comments about a nation's "coercion" in the Pacific was about Australia's largest trading partner. "There are a number of claimant states throughout the South China Sea to various aspects of the area. We don't take a side on any of those debates, but we do encourage all of those who are part of the region to operate according to international law," she said. "For example, the conventional law of the sea and the arbitration decision that was issued by the convention. We advocate for the strongest engagement in that regard." The Minister said President Trump's escalating trade war with China was a matter of "America ... acting in their own national interests" but that Australia had its own concerns with its trading partner, such as "forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft". On former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd's condemnation of Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie's comments about China, she said that while freedom of speech and expression were "a basic right in this country", her Coalition colleagues and others "should be careful" in the way they exercised it.

She condemned violence against pro-Hong Kong protesters on Australian university campuses as "unacceptable in Australia" and "not something which we will tolerate", and said her department was monitoring the situation in Hong Kong. "We are very concerned about any violence breaking out on the streets of Hong Kong. We've encouraged the authorities to respect peaceful protest and we would continue to do that," Ms Payne said. Ms Payne, who is also the Minister for Women, backed a controversial bill to decriminalise abortion that has divided the NSW Parliament, while condemning a 2GB broadcaster for asking Premier Gladys Berejiklian how she would deal with an unwanted pregnancy. "I don't think that it is appropriate to ask anyone, male or female, sensitive health questions like that - and it's not OK," she said. Asked if she supported the bill - which has thrown the Berejiklian government into crisis - Ms Payne said while it was "a matter for the NSW Parliament", "I do think that it is important for it to be decriminalised, yes."