Australia arms itself – new defense strategy aimed at China

“The time for the optimistic assumptions that shaped defense planning after the end of the Cold War is long gone,” Defense Secretary Richard Marles said Wednesday at the presentation of the 80-page document. Overall, Australia wants to increase defense spending over the next decade from the current two percent to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product.

Minister of Defense: “Damage even without invasion”
The biggest threat, Marles said, are attacks that block key sea and air routes, limiting Australia’s ability to trade. “We are a maritime trading nation,” said the minister. He thinks an invasion is unlikely, but Australia could also be seriously damaged without ever setting foot on national territory.

As previously reported, the government in Canberra is seeking to strengthen its naval forces with nuclear-powered submarines. By tripling the number of missiles, the aim is to create the strongest navy in the country’s history. Canberra fears escalations by China, especially in the Taiwan Strait, in the South and East China Seas and on China’s border with India. The defense strategy says China has “used tactics under the threat of force to achieve its strategic objectives.”

Beijing: “China is not a threat”
The government in Beijing said it was shocked and called on Australia to stop blaming China “at every opportunity”. “China does not pose a threat to any country,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. The People’s Republic hopes that Australia will abandon its “Cold War mentality” and become more committed to peace and stability in the region.