Australia’s defence minister called on China to explain its massive military build-up, claiming it was sparking concern in the region due to a lack of transparency.
Richard Marles urged Beijing to offer strategic assurance about its defence policies. “What we have seen from China is the single biggest increase in military capability and build-up in conventional sense by any country since the end of the Second World War,” Mr Marles said on Sunday.
“It is the fact that it is happening without strategic reassurance. It’s happening without a clear strategic intent on the part of China. What we want to see is strategic transparency and strategic reassurance be provided by China and an understanding of why it is needed to have such an extraordinary military build-up.”
He pointed to Australia as a model of transparency, claiming that Canberra publicly shared its defence strategy and reviews to make it “utterly clear” that its military build-up was meant to ensure security for the country and the region more broadly.
“So, there is total strategic clarity and assurance that is being provided by Australia to our neighbours, to the region, to the world. That's what we would like to see,” he said.
Mr Marles said China’s recent military exercise near Australia and New Zealand was “disruptive” and “could have been done in a better way” but added that ultimately “China was acting in accordance with international law”.
In February, China’s military exercise in the Tasman Sea, involving three naval ships and possibly live fire, prompted flight diversions between Australia and New Zealand. Australia called the manoeuvres “unusual”, while China maintained they were lawful and in international waters.
At the time, China’s foreign ministry confirmed that it was carrying out naval training and exercises in “distant waters”. A spokesman, Guo Jiakun, said the drills were conducted safely, “in professional manner” and in line with international laws and norms.
Mr Marles emphasised the importance of upholding a rules-based order. “The guiding light, the bedrock here, needs to be compliance with international law. That’s what we keep talking about, is the rules-based order,” he said.
On calls for Indo-Pacific allies of America to boost defence spending amid China’s rise, Mr Marles said Australia was “taking steps” and “up for it” though it hadn’t yet committed to president Donald Trump’s push for increasing military spending to 3 per cent of the national GDP.
China earlier rejected US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s warning of a “real” and “potentially imminent” threat from Beijing, calling his claim groundless. Beijing also accused the US of being the “biggest troublemaker” for regional peace.
The Chinese embassy in Singapore said on Facebook that the speech was “steeped in provocations and instigation” and that Mr Hegseth had “repeatedly smeared and attacked China and relentlessly played up the so-called ‘China threat’”.
“As a matter of fact, the US itself is the biggest ‘troublemaker’ for regional peace and stability,” the embassy said. “What the US now offers the most to the world is ‘uncertainty’. The country claims to safeguard peace and not to seek conflicts. We’ve heard it. Let’s see what moves will it take.”
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