Beijing has taken aim at the Albanese government’s inaugural national defence strategy, urging Canberra to drop its “Cold War mentality” as it denied China posed any risk to regional stability. Defence Minister Richard Marles unveiled the strategy on Wednesday, announcing Australia would bolster its navy over the next decade toContinue Reading
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has rejected cost and transparency concerns around the federal government’s AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, arguing the program will be critical to defending Australia’s national security amid increasing military build-up and rising global tensions. In a speech to the National Press Club, Mr Conroy said costsContinue Reading
China has erupted in anger after Tokyo deployed air defence missiles to a remote island, labelling Japan as a “dangerous country” that could launch an attack on the region within the decade. Beijing-based Institute of Modern International Relations official Liu Jiangyong told the Communist Party’s Global Times that Japan wasContinue Reading
Australia’s next ambassador to the United States, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, has warned if the fraught US-China relationship worsens, there is a risk of “war by accident”. “The overall state of the US-China relationship is in bad strategic repair,” Mr Rudd told ABC TV’s 7.30 program on Thursday. HeContinue Reading