China Wary of Australia-US Military Ties
Please note that we are not authorised to provide any investment advice. The content on this page is for information purposes only.
China has voiced it concern over the growing military ties between Australia and the United States, with Chinese officials saying that “the time for Cold War alliances has long passed.” China is one of the largest trading partners for Australia, and exports more than a quarter of its products to China.
China has voiced it concern over the growing military ties between Australia and the United States, with Chinese officials saying that “the time for Cold War alliances has long passed.” China is one of the largest trading partners for Australia, and exports more than a quarter of its products to China.
Speaking after an top-level official visit to China, Australia’s top diplomat Bob Carr said that his meetings with high-ranking Chinese officials – including Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi and Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe, were dominated by concerns over Australia’s strong and growing military alliance with the United States.
Related News: Australia Wants To Hire Skilled US Engineers and Electricians
The United States has recently started rotating troops through bases in Australia. Under a new agreement established late last year, up to 2,500 US Marines will be stationed in Australia by 2017.
Carr said:
[quote] I think their view can be expressed as in the words of one of the three I spoke to – I’m sure it was the foreign minister – that the time for Cold War alliances has long since passed. [/quote]
While the United States is a key security ally for Australia, China remains a key trading partner for Australia and about a quarter of all Australian exports are purchased by China.
Related News: China Inks $31 Billion Currency Swap Deal With Australia
According to Carr, China was briefed by Australia before it entered into the defence cooperation with the United States. But, Chinese officials had expressed their doubts over the appropriateness of the cooperation and suggested that China would not have acted against the interest of Australia.
Carr added:
[quote] Australia’s view, of course, is that the American presence in the Asia Pacific has helped underpin stability there. [/quote]
Related Story: America’s New “Pacific Offensive” – A Strategy To Contain China: Sanjaya Baru
At the same time, he stressed the need for greater defence cooperation and “confidence-building missions” between China and Australia, adding that “the more we understand about one another’s approach to defence, the less likely we are to misinterpret what the other side does.”
Related: Australia Export, Import, and Trade
Related: Australia Industry Sectors
