China fears don’t stack up: Will Hodgman

Tasmania’s Premier, Will Hodgman, has rejected suggestions there may be military concerns about China’s interest in Antarctica.

Premier Will Hodgman. Picture: David Killick

Tasmania’s Premier, Will Hodgman, has rejected suggestions there may be military concerns about China’s growing interest in Antarctica.

In an interview in Beijing with The Australian, he said Tasmania was keen to work closely with China’s efforts in Antarctica including using Hobart as a supply port for Chinese icebreakers and having more Tasmanian businesses supply the Chinese presence in the polar region.

Mr Hodgman, who is leading a delegation of Tasmanian bus­iness leaders and officials to China, said allegations that Beijing’s interest in the region could have military overtones “don’t stack up”.

“It is not the view of our ­government or the national government,” he said.

“On the contrary, China’s engagement with Australia and Tasmania as the national gateway to Antarctica has always been a positive experience.”

He said Tasmania had an important memorandum of understanding with China’s State Oceanic Administration to co-operate in areas such as science, research and logistics in the ­Antarctic.

Mr Hodgman said the agreement was aimed at supporting Tasmania and China’s “mutual investment and interest in the continent”.

“It’s very positive,” he said.

He said comments about ­potential military implications of China interests in the region had been made by some academics but “I don’t think it aligns with ­reality, frankly”.

“China is a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty and their activities, along with every other nation which has a presence on the ­continent, are managed and regulated appropriately.”

Mr Hodgman said Tasmanian representatives on the trip to China had been pushing their case for Hobart to be used more as a supply base for China’s presence in the Antarctic.

He said the delegation included representatives of Hobart’s airport and port who were outlining their expansion plans and increased capacity to handle more offshore business.

Mr Hodgman said Tasmania was keen to see another port visit by a Chinese icebreaker on its way to the Southern Ocean.

Hobart has had several visits by Chinese icebreakers, including one by the Xuelong or Snow Dragon, during the visit to the state in 2014 by China’s President Xi Jinping.

“If we could secure a visit of an icebreaker to Hobart, it would be a great outcome,” Mr Hodgman said. “It would support many local businesses.”

China this week launched its first domestically built icebreaker, the Xuelong 2, in Shanghai.

The ship will undergo a series of sea trials and is expected to be deployed operationally in the first half of next year.

Mr Hodgman said Tasmania’s support for operations in Antarc­tica was estimated to generate about $180 million a year in revenue for the state.

He said China was now Tasmania’s largest single trading partner, with business worth over $1 billion a year.

“China is by far our biggest market. It is very significant for us,” he said.