No comment: PM refuses to weigh into China briefing PNG

Anthony Albanese has declined to discuss revelations by The Sunday Telegraph that the Papua New Guinean government was tipped off by China about looming warship operations in our region.

The Prime Minister has refused to reveal whether he was warned by Papua New Guinea of looming Chinese warship operations, which resulted in live-fire drills and three ships near the Australian coastline.

Speaking at western Sydney on Sunday, Anthony Albanese said: “What we don’t do at press conferences is relay what intelligence information the Australian government receives”.

“We receive intelligence briefings and we have absolute confidence in our Australian Defence Force,” Mr Albanese said.

It comes after The Sunday Telegraph revealed PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko was briefed by his Chinese ambassador at least two weeks prior to the warship drills beginning.

Mr Tkatchenko said: “The Chinese ambassador did come and see me and alert myself and our government that they did have warships going past and through our waters. Just out of courtesy. They said they were doing their own drills, their own situations, programs and activities in those waters”.

FPrime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to relay the intelligence information Australia received on the Chinese warships which have now made their way to near the coast of Australia. Picture: David Caird

He added: “Of course, the rest of the information came forward to Australia and other countries … seeing what they were doing in our waters. It is a bit intimidating, I can see Australia’s point in this situation and it must be monitored”

The conversation between Mr Tkatchenko and the Chinese ambassador to PNG was in stark contrast to Beijing’s approach to Australia, with the Albanese government only learning of the warships through intelligence avenues and without any direct notification from Chinese officials.

While Australia was tracking the three Chinese warships since February 10, officials only learnt they were conducting live fire drills from a Virgin Australia pilot 40 minutes after the drill started.

It marked the latest escalation in China’s aggressive pursuit of the Pacific, with a recent deal signed with the Cook Islands that left New Zealand blindsided.

Australia’s national security is increasingly becoming an election issue for Anthony Albanese, with the Coalition today announcing it will restore a commitment — which was scrapped by Labor — to give the Royal Australian Air Force 100 of the world’s most advanced stealth strike fighters.

\Papua New Guinea Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko at Parliament House in Canberra, Picture: Gary Ramage

Australian officials have keenly felt the need to guard against a China charm offensive in the Pacific, recently announcing a $600m deal with PNG for an 18th NRL team by 2028.

Strategic Analysis Australia defence expert Michael Shoebridge said China was extending two very different forms of diplomacy to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

“Beijing has clearly decided to be all smiles with PNG and the South Pacific nations while showing their much darker side to Australia in the way they have communicated and conducted these drills and this military presence,” he said.

“It is a nakedly obvious attempt to accentuate their friendlessness to the Pacific nations while upping the aggression to Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr Shoebridge said Australia needed to focus on its economic offering to the Pacific to fend off the Chinese threat.

The Defence Department has released more pictures of the Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea. Picture: Australian Defence Force

Originally published as No comment: PM refuses to weigh into China briefing PNG