‘Heavy attack’ threat to Australia as Taiwan tensions escalate
Australia has been warned it will bear the brunt of a ‘heavy attack’ if it joins a US-led defence of Taiwan from Chinese attacks.
Australia has been warned it will bear the brunt of a “heavy attack” if it joins a US-led defence of Taiwan from Chinese attacks.
Hu Xijin. editor-in-chief of China’s Global Times newspaper issued the threat in a tweet that referenced comments made by Defence Minister Peter Dutton in an interview in The Australian on Friday.
The Global Times is a state-affiliated tabloid, is published by the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece, The People’s Daily.
“If Australian troops come to fight in the Taiwan Straits, it is unimaginable that China won’t carry out a heavy attack on them and the Australian military facilities that support them,” he tweeted.
“So Australia (had) better be prepared to sacrifice for Taiwan island and the US.”
In his interview with The Australian’s senior writer Troy Bramston, Mr Dutton said China had been “very clear” about its intent “to go into Taiwan”.
And while he did not openly declare an Australian commitment to defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack, but strongly implied support would be given to the United States should it mount a defence.
“We need to make sure that there is a high level of preparedness, a greater sense of deterrence by our capability, and that is how we put our country in a position of strength,” he said.
“China is an economic and military superpower. They spend 10 times a year more than what we spend on our defence budget, and every 18 months they produce, on a tonnage rate, more by way of military assets than the whole Royal Navy has in her fleet.
“So the thought that we could compete with China is of course a nonsense. That’s not the question before us. The question is, would we join with the US?
“It would be inconceivable that we wouldn’t support the US in an action if the US chose to take that action. And again, I think we should be very frank and honest about that, look at all of the facts and circumstances without pre-committing, and maybe there are circumstances where we wouldn’t take up that option. I can’t conceive of those circumstances.”
BIDEN, XI TO HOLD TALKS AS TENSIONS MOUNT
US President Joe Biden will hold a hotly anticipated virtual summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday evening US time, the White House and China announced, as tensions mount over Taiwan, human rights and trade.
It is hoped the virtual talk will clear the air but “specific deliverables” are unlikely to emerge from Monday’s talk.
Washington instead sees the meeting as a way of “setting the terms, in our view, of an effective competition,” according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Relations between the world’s two largest economies have recently deteriorated, in particular over Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy claimed by China, which last month made a record number of air incursions near the island.
Washington has repeatedly signalled its support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression, however, the United States and China reached a surprise agreement on climate at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
“The two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition” between the two countries “as well as ways to work together where our interests align,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Friday.
During the virtual summit, Mr Biden will “make clear US intentions and priorities” as well as being “clear and candid” about America’s concerns with China.
China’s official Xinhua news agency has also confirmed the meeting.
Since taking office Mr Biden has talked with Xi by phone twice. The pair also met extensively when Mr Biden was serving as vice president to Barack Obama, and Xi was vice president to Hu Jintao.
Both men participated in the APEC virtual summit overnight that was hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
‘COMPETITIVE’, ‘ADVERSARIAL’ RELATIONSHIP
“I’ve noted repeatedly, over the past 10 months, that the relationship with China is among the most consequential and also most complex that we have,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.
“It has different elements in it — some cooperative, some competitive and others adversarial and we will manage all three at the same time.”
Ms Psaki told reporters: “The president is certainly not going to hold back on areas where he has concern.”
She also said that the “intense competition” in the bilateral relationship required “intense diplomacy.”
The US president has largely kept the tougher approach on Beijing of his predecessor Donald Trump, with both administrations considering a rising China to be the top challenge of the 21st century.
On Thursday, Mr Biden signed into law a measure aimed at preventing companies like telecom giant Huawei from getting new equipment licenses from US regulators, in Washington’s latest effort to crack down on Chinese tech firms.
Also on Thursday, Xi warned against a return to Cold War-era divisions in the Asia-Pacific, in remarks to a virtual business conference on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
“Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles on geopolitical grounds are bound to fail,” he said.
“The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not relapse into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era.”
But the two countries, also the top two carbon emitters in the world, agreed this week to work together to accelerate climate action this decade.
More Coverage
Jewish leaders: put Greens last on ballot
Two of the nation’s leading Jewish groups have sought public commitments from Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton for the major parties to preference each other over the Greens at the next election.
Diplomat’s partner in post-rugby slur at cops
Footage has emerged of an Australian diplomat’s partner apparently yelling a homophobic slur at police during his arrest after the Bledisloe Cup rugby match in New Zealand last month.