Coronavirus: Senior US officials back Australia’s tough stance on ‘pernicious’ China
US’ most senior commander in the region applauds Australia’s China stance.
America’s most senior military commander in the region has called out China’s conduct in the Pacific as pernicious and applauded Australia’s leadership in standing up to Beijing.
The commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson, said: “China’s activities in Oceania, the Pacific Island chain, has been quite pernicious; that’s been going on for years.
“During this very serious time of COVID-19, that approach has become even more evident.”
In an exclusive interview in Thursday night’s defence special for the Sky News documentary series The Alliance, the admiral’s concerns are backed up by US ambassador Arthur Culvahouse.
“Our concern is not the Chinese people. Our concern is about the current government of China and the Chinese Communist Party and the malign influence that they are increasingly exercising in the region and throughout the world,” Mr Culvahouse said.
As tensions in the region escalate, Admiral Davidson described China’s linking of personal protective equipment aid to demands that recipient countries say China has been effective at controlling the virus as perverse. “From Australia’s own experience, just over the discussion of barley tariffs in the past few weeks, you can see how China is running a very coercive diplomatic routine,” he said.
Asked what his message to ordinary Australians would be, when the nation appeared to be paying economically for taking a global lead on the inquiry into the origins of the virus or banning Huawei, the admiral said: “My message to ordinary Australians is this: the sovereignty of our nations, our ability to choose, should be independent of coercion.
“Sometimes that makes for tough choices. I applaud Australia’s leadership on both the issues they decided they had to sit on. I know the US will be alongside.”
These comments follow the recent endorsement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of Australia’s lead in pushing for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.
“Prime Minister (Scott) Morrison has been fantastic in calling for an inquiry. One hundred-plus nations supported that. The US is fully on board too,” he said.
China’s plan to impose national security laws in Hong Kong is the latest disturbing example of hard and soft power in the South China Sea and the South Pacific.
Mr Culvahouse described Australia as the US’s most trusted Five Eyes partner, occupying important lanes in the road in the defence and intelligence field and working to ensure continued peace and stability in the Pacific.
“We trust Australia to occupy those lanes in the road so we don’t have to. We trust Australia absolutely,” the ambassador said.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said: “It is really about us genuinely respecting the sovereignty of countries in our region and offering to work together, as we have done for many decades.”
Former prime minister John Howard also features in the documentary, saying China is throwing its weight around a lot more now.
“That has implications (and) we have to give it a measured response,” Mr Howard said.
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