On Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison announced that his administration is investing $747 million towards upgrading four training facilities of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to allow the country’s troops to more efficiently “conduct simulated training exercises and remain battle-ready”. The latest investment forms part of a wider $8 billion injection into ‘defence capital infrastructure works’ over the course of the next decade.
Given that this announcement comes at a time when senior officials within the Australian government have warned of the possibility of war with China, Beijing and its state-owned media have been pushed into overdrive, describing Canberra’s move as “sick”. The escalating tensions between China and Australia are particularly concerning, given that bilateral ties have significantly frayed on the diplomatic, economic, and strategic fronts over the last year.
To this end, PM Morrison said that the upgradation of its military facilities will “support greater engagement with our Indo-Pacific neighbours and our allies” and allow for greater interoperability of forces through “small- and large-scale military exercises across a number of different scenarios.” He went on to say, “Our focus is on pursuing peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favours freedom.”
In fact, the announcement ceremony was attended by a number of United States (US) Marines, and Morrison touched upon the valued friendship between Canberra and Washington, saying that they will work together to “pursue peace” in what he described as a “very uncertain world” and a “very uncertain region” with “many pressures”.
The Australian leader noted, “Our objective here is to ensure a peaceful region but one that at the same time Australia is in a position to always protect its interests, always advance our national interests, always support a global world order that favours freedom and that is something that we share very deeply with our American friends and allies.”
When asked by a journalist if this week’s announcement is designed to “send a message to China that you’re preparing for war”, Morrison reiterated that Australia’s strategy is “designed to pursue peace” but that it could not achieve this would “protect[ing] and defend[ing] Australia’s interests in the region”.
Morrison’s announcement comes against the backdrop of inflammatory statements by Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo, and Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Frances Adamson.
On Sunday, Dutton said that the possibility of the China-Taiwan conflict “should not be discounted” due to the “militarisation of bases across the region” and the heavy “animosity” between the two countries.
On the same day, Pezzullo said that the “drums of war” are beating louder and warned, “We must search always for the chance for peace amidst the curse of war, until we are faced with the only prudent, if sorrowful, course – to send off, yet again, our warriors to fight the nation’s wars.”
Likewise, Adamson recently denounced China for “adopt[ing] a more authoritarian approach” and for pushing Australia to “compromise on key national interests.”
As expected, Dutton, Pezzullo, and Adamson’s comments drew swift condemnation from China. In response to Dutton’s comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin urged Australia to “avoid sending any wrong signal to Taiwan independence force” and called on Canberra to respect the “One China” principle and not interfere in China’s internal affairs. To this end, he declared, “The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair that bears on China’s core interests, and brooks no external interference,” adding, “China must and will be reunified. We are willing to do our best to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any space for “Taiwan independence” separatist activities in any form.”
On Adamson’s comments about Chinese authoritarianism, Wang replied, “Australia is sick, however it is asking others to take medicine,” pointing to how Australia had banned a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in Victoria, and prevented Chinese telecommunications firms from participating in its 5G network rollout.
On Wednesday, another foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, addressed Pezzullo’s comments, saying that Australia’s ‘hyping’ of the “China threat” is “unethical” and warned that “[Australia] will end up hurting itself.”
Morrison, however, would not be drawn on Dutton and Pezzullo’s comments and said that Australia is simply seeking to “build Australia’s sovereign capability in our defence industries”.
During Australian PM Scott Morrison’s term, Australia has grown ever closer to the US, particularly during the ongoing pandemic. His administration has called for international investigations into China’s complicity in the coronavirus pandemic, described Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS) as having “no legal basis”, criticised the new security legislation in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province, elevated Australia’s relationship with India from a Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), participated in the Malabar naval exercises and leaders’ summits with the Quad, signed a defence pact with Japan, joined US warships in an attempt to steer Chinese vessels out of Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), banned Huawei from the country’s 5G network, and introduced a new law that allows the federal government to overrule any agreements reached between state agreements and foreign governments and entities.
The latest exchanges between Canberra and Beijing have no doubt further escalated tensions between the two countries.
Australia Announces Defence Upgrade Amid Inflammatory Comments on Chinese Authoritarianism
PM Scott Morrison said that the upgradation of its military facilities will “support greater engagement with our Indo-Pacific neighbours and our allies.”
April 29, 2021
IMAGE SOURCE: LOREN ELLIOTT / REUTERSAustralian PM Scott Morrison