Advertisement
China-Australia relations: Canberra says it values China trade ties, urges Beijing to be ‘transparent’ about military build-up
- Canberra’s No 2 official says assurances by China would be fundamental to peace on Taiwan Strait as well as for better ties with the likes of Australia, India and South Korea
- Meanwhile, in response to a Chinese general’s question about Aukus, Marles said the pact was ‘not an alliance’ and couldn’t be considered a ‘mini-Nato’
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
67

Australia’s No 2 leader on Saturday offered fresh indications of his new government’s nuanced China policy, as he voiced concerns about the lack of transparency in the Asian superpower’s military build-up while indicating that Canberra valued its ties with Beijing.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles stressed that Australia valued ties – especially in trade – with Beijing even amid concerns about its military build-up.
Marles, who is also Defence Minister, said Canberra would not question the right of any country to modernise their military consistent with their resources and interests.
Insecurity is what drives an arms race. So reassuring statecraft is essential
“But large-scale military build-ups must be transparent and must be accompanied by statecraft that reassures,” Marles said in a plenary session at the annual security conference.
Held annually in Singapore since 2002, the Shangri-La Dialogue resumed this year after a two-year interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Describing China’s military expansion as the “largest and most ambitious” since the second world war, Marles said it was critical that Beijing’s neighbours “do not see this build-up as a risk to them”.
“Because without that reassurance, it is inevitable that countries will seek to upgrade their own military capabilities in response,” Marles said in a speech. “Insecurity is what drives an arms race. So reassuring statecraft is essential.”
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2-3x faster
1.1x
220 WPM
Slow
Normal
Fast
1.1x