These are certainly peculiar times. If you want to know what’s really going on in this rapidly shifting world, it’s probably best to get your information from military chiefs rather than political leaders. The time we live in is one in which this is the case.
Two recent examples of this are General Mark Milley, who is the highest-ranking military officer in the United States, and Angus Houston, who served as the previous leader of the Australian Defense Force.
Both were discussing how China has had a meteoric increase in economic power, which is something that many politicians believe but don’t say out loud.
The subject of whether or not Australia would side with the United States in a conflict with China was addressed by General Milley.
General Milley was asked by Sarah Ferguson, the host of ABC’s 7.30, how much damage could be done to the US-Australia alliance if Australia said “No” to the US in the event of a war in Asia. This question was asked during General Milley’s appearance on ABC’s 7.30.
“I believe that the United States of America and Australia share similar values,” General Milley said in response to the question.
“The United States and Australia have been key allies ever since World War I, so we’ve been a shoulder to shoulder for well over a hundred years.”
“Both our perspectives and our approaches to solving problems are comparable. Therefore, if something were to happen in the future, I believe that Australia and the United States would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with one another.”
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General Mark Milley, who serves as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States, gives an interview at 7.30.
(Sarah Ferguson) The next point, which is as crucial as it is obvious, is that the strategic position in Australia has significantly shifted. The company that is currently our most important customer is also considered to be our most significant rival.
The flexing of China’s muscles surrounding Taiwan over the past week has only served to convince the powerbrokers in Canberra that war including Taiwan is now a real possibility.
An appearance by Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian at the National Press Club the previous week provided further support for that view: He entered the room wearing a suit and a velvet glove, but he revealed the iron fist that was hidden below.
The tone of Ambassador Qian’s address was controlled very carefully. It began with words of conciliation, using terms such as “hospitality,” “friendly,” and “co-operative” to describe Australia.
However, it ended with a clear message about Taiwan, stating that there is no room for compromise in the situation.
The Chinese Government’s Port Policy
China’s desire to acquire infrastructure appears to have no limit, as seen by the country’s ongoing construction projects, purchases, and provision of finance to other developing nations, particularly those in the Pacific.
Recent findings from an investigation by Four Corners have shown that China’s influence is pervasive throughout the Solomon Islands.
A reporter named Angus Grigg observed that China is present in every part of the capital city of Honiara, from the imposing Chinese Embassy to the enormous sports stadium.
Even the garbage trucks that the city uses are owned by the Communist Party of China (Brand).
The development of port facilities, in particular deep-water ports such as those found in the Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka, is one of Beijing’s preferred infrastructure investment types.
A Chinese corporation now holds a lease on Darwin Port in Australia for 99 years.
It is China’s contention that, as the most active manufacturer and dealer in the world, ports are absolutely necessary to the operation of its economic model.
Its detractors claim that although ports are undeniably advantageous for a commercial behemoth, the strategic long-term goal is to establish up a port network that is equally beneficial to the navy of the country in question.
Darwin Port continues to be on the less concerning the end of the range of concerns for those who are sceptical of China’s motivations.
If hostilities broke out between Australia and China, senior defence and intelligence leaders in Canberra say that Australia would be able to reclaim control of Darwin Port and prevent Chinese ships from entering.
The position in the Solomon Islands, on the other hand, is more complicated: Australia would have to persuade the leadership in Honiara to bar access to the port for Chinese vessels.
The Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, which was constructed by the Chinese, is the location that causes the most concern for India.
If Chinese ships were to make an attempt to control substantial areas of India’s east and west coasts, the geography of this region would provide them with strategic advantages.
What exactly does it mean to be an ally of the United States?
Angus Houston has described the possibility of “state-on-state violence” as “the greatest I have ever seen in my profession and in my lifetime.”
The Australian Defense Force has just stated that it will be conducting a defence strategic review to investigate this risk.
He stated that because the environment is always shifting at a rapid pace, we must conduct a review of the existing strategic circumstances.
A Sobering Assessment of the Situation From the Chinese Embassy
According to what David Speers has written, Xiao Qian has made it crystal apparent how uncompromising China will be on the fundamental concerns in a speech that was both visceral and illuminating.
The expansion of China’s military power is not a secret, but the fact that Chinese planes have repeatedly shown themselves bombing fake ships in the waters around Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea is evidence that we now live in an unstable neighbourhood.
When it comes to conveying the perspective of the United States, General Milley could not have been more clear: “Shoulder to shoulder” does not mean that we deliver a forceful address to the United Nations General Assembly.
This does not mean that our Prime Minister has said anything along the lines of “we back Washington’s action and condemn Beijing’s actions.” It does not mean that Penny Wong will get the opportunity to take a picture with her US equivalent.
It refers to support for the armed forces.
It would be “inconceivable” for Australia not to support the United States in the event of a war over Taiwan; however, the Albanese government appears to have taken a step back from the more hardline rhetoric of the Morrison government.
This is reflected in Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s statement that it would be “inconceivable” for Australia not to support the United States in such a conflict.
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However, there is room for disagreement over what it means to be “a faithful ally,” even though no serious player is urging Australia to walk away from its relationship with the United States.
