US urges Australia to increase naval exercises in South China Sea

The United States is pressuring Australia to ramp up its presence in the South China Sea, as tensions continue to simmer with Beijing.

The United States is pressuring Australia to ramp up its presence in the South China Sea.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds are set to meet their US counterparts in Washington DC later today to discuss extending military co-operation in the disputed region.

Arriving in Washington with @MarisePayne ahead of #AUSMIN2020. This visit is a testament to the importance of our enduring Alliance. 🇦🇺🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/KQqbjrk7UE

— Linda Reynolds (@lindareynoldswa) July 27, 2020

It comes amid rising tensions in the area, after Australian warships had an unplanned encounter with China’s navy and Australia publicly declared there is “no legal basis” to China’s claims over the region.

The declaration to the UN by the Australian Government said: “Australia rejects China’s claim to ‘historic rights’ or ‘maritime rights and interests’ as established in the ‘long course of historical practice’ in the South China Sea.”

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Tensions are back on the rise between Australia and China in the disputed region. Picture: AFP/US NAVY

Australia also noted that it does not accept China’s claim of sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands.

“The Tribunal in the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award found these claims to be inconsistent with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and, to the extent of that inconsistency, invalid,” it said.

“There is no legal basis for China to draw straight baselines connecting the outermost points of maritime features or ‘island groups’ in the South China Sea, including around the ‘Four Sha’ or ‘continental’ or ‘outlying’ archipelagos.

“Australia rejects any claims to internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf based on such straight baselines.

“Australia also rejects China’s claims to maritime zones generated by submerged features, or low-tide elevations in a manner inconsistent with UNCLOS. Land building activities or other forms of artificial transformation cannot change the classification of a feature under UNCLOS … the Australian government does not accept that artificially transformed features can ever acquire the status of an island.”

China fired a direct message in response to Australia in response, accusing Canberra of “recklessly making provocations” and blindly following the United States.

Through its government mouthpiece, The Global Times, China responded with an article titled “Australia unwisely boards US leaky boat to meddle in South China Sea”.

It declared sanctions on beef and wine exports were warranted and warned broken diplomacy between the two countries was unsalvageable.

“The relationship between China and Australia has now deteriorated to a very bad point and the chance for a turnaround is slim in the near future,” according to the article penned by Guangdong Research Institute professor Zhou Fangyin.

“One of the main reasons is that Australia’s policy lacks independence and its current choice is to closely follow the US lead.

“If Australia further provokes China, not only on political relations, but also economic relations, the damage to Australia should be expected.”

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Aussie ships on a recent expedition with Japanese and US forces.

The diplomatic relationship between Australia and China soured when Canberra led calls for an international investigation into the initial outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan.

As the US and Australia prepare to meet today, the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre has urged the two governments to narrow their focus on China at the strategic meeting.

The top research institute recently outlined a policy framework for Australia and the US, claiming the alliance has never had a “more urgent” time to show leadership.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its island grabbing in the South China Sea, military force in the Taiwan Strait, its annexation of Hong Kong’s legal system and the recent clashes at the border with Indian forces reveal a menacing strategy for regional control, the centre said.

“While the United States has been largely distracted during COVID-19 with its own domestic concerns, China has taken advantage of an uncertain regional situation to advance its expansive geopolitical interests in key flashpoints across the Indo-Pacific,” the centre’s director of foreign policy and defence Ashley Townshend told news.com.au.

“China already has already taken advantage of the pandemic to prosecute its regional agenda in ways that are not favourable to our interests.”