Watch the highlights: Defending Australia 2024 forum explores military challenges in an unstable world

An interpreter resigned on the spot when she realised she might need to translate negative comments about her homeland by a former Chinese spy at the Defending Australia summit.

The race to build Australia’s military capability in a time of rising global instability and uncertainty will be the focus of an agenda-setting defence summit today – and you can watch it live and follow our rolling blog right here.

Defending Australia, to be held in Canberra this afternoon, will explore our nation’s preparedness for conflict as the threat posed by China’s massive military build-up intensifies, and wars rage in the Middle East and Ukraine.

The event will hear from Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, executives from major defence firms KBR and BAE Systems Australia, early career recruits and even a former Chinese spy.

Sky News presenter Cheng Lei, who was detained by Chinese authorities for three years until her release in October 2023, will host a panel, and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, just back from an AUKUS-focused visit to the US, will deliver the keynote address.

The event will begin at 2pm AEST (1.30pm SA time). Follow our blog below for live updates.

Originally published as Watch the highlights: Defending Australia 2024 forum explores military challenges in an unstable world

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