By Lisa Visentin and Matthew Knott
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will call out China’s recent “unsafe” confrontations with Australian naval forces, its aggression in the South China Sea, and recent military drills around Taiwan as a threat to global stability in a speech to a high-powered defence summit.
Marles, who is also defence minister, will use a speech to the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday to say that security in the Indo-Pacific rides on China playing a key leadership role, but that this is being undermined by Beijing’s disregard for international law and the sovereignty of its neighbours.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will call on China to play a stronger leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region.Credit: Wayne Taylor
“Confidence – and indeed trust – in Chinese leadership will be the single most important ingredient to the maintenance of the global rules-based order. And by extension, it will be at the heart of building a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” Marles will say during a panel at the dialogue, according to a draft copy of his remarks.
He will say that there is “no indelible hostility to China” from Western powers, and will echo similar concerns expressed by American and European leaders about China’s ongoing support for Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine.
“China making clear – in word and deed – that it does not support the invasion of a sovereign country in violation of the UN Charter, consistent with China’s own long-standing commitment to the charter’s founding principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, would be a huge vote of confidence in Chinese regional and global leadership,” he will say.
Marles’ remarks are likely to hit a sour note with Beijing and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, who is attending the dialogue for the first time since being appointed to the post in December.
Marles’ office did not confirm whether he would seek a meeting with Dong during the summit and directly raise Australia’s concerns about the aggressive tactics used by the People’s Liberation Army in interactions with the Australian navy.
Any meeting would mark the first opportunity for Marles to voice concerns directly about the release of flares last month by a PLA fighter jet in the path of an Australian naval helicopter in international waters. Until now, Australia has only raised the issue at a diplomatic level and in public statements, rather than between ministers.
Marles’ speech will canvass the issue in front of leading defence and military officials and politicians from across the region as well as the United States and Europe, repeating Australia’s claim that China has displayed repeated “unsafe and unprofessional behaviour”. He will also cite the use of sonar pulses by a Chinese warship while Australian naval divers were in the East China Sea in November.
He will also condemn the use of water cannon and ramming tactics by Chinese vessels against Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea as a “serious escalation of tensions”, and China’s military drills last week aimed at Taiwan.
“PLA exercises that practise attacks and blockades of Taiwan do not inspire confidence that China prioritises – or is planning for – a peaceful settlement to the status of this island and its 22 million people,” he will say.
This year’s dialogue, the pre-eminent Asia-Pacific defence summit, marked the first time in 18 months that the US and China’s defence chiefs have held face-to-face talks. Chinese state media reported on Friday that Dong had met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
In a 75-minute meeting, the pair had discussed Taiwan, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the conflict in Gaza, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters on the sidelines of the summit.
Austin had expressed concern about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, including after the island’s presidential election and the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te this month, US Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement, while Dong had warned Austin that the US should not interfere in China’s affairs with Taiwan, Wu said.
Marles’ attendance at the dialogue comes as fresh concerns over the future of Australia’s submarine program were canvassed at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra.
Officials from the Australian Submarine Corporation – which builds and sustains submarines for the navy – told hearings on Friday that three of the nation’s six Collins-class submarines would be out of the water and unavailable for service for most of this year.
The officials said HMAS Sheean was under full-cycle docking at the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide and had been suffering unusual corrosion issues. Sheean will be joined by HMAS Rankin in coming weeks, with maintenance work to continue until Christmas.
Difficulties with the ageing submarines raises questions about the feasibility of an expensive and complicated life-of-type-extension program designed to keep the Collins-class boats in the water through the 2030s as nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines begin to arrive from the US.
HMAS Farncomb is in mid-cycle docking at the Henderson shipyards in Western Australia, with its return to the water expected in October.
Liberal Senator Birmingham said the fact that half the nation’s submarine fleet would be out of service at once for the first time since 2012 “should be sending alarm bells through the Albanese government”.
“The government must get on top of these delays so as not to endanger the Collins life-of-type-extension program and ensure continuity of submarine capability prior to AUKUS deliveries of nuclear-powered submarines,” he said.
with Reuters
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