Defence Secretary Austin says the US supports nations against China’s “bullying.”
Secretary of Defence James Austin has stated that the United States stands with other countries against what he calls China’s “bullying behaviour.” Late on Thursday night, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott arrived in the city of Brisbane, Australia, in advance of annual bilateral discussions.
CANBERRA: As he began bilateral discussions in Australia aimed at containing Beijing’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday that Washington stands with nations combating Chinese “bullying behaviour.”
Prior to their annual meetings on Friday and Saturday, Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Brisbane, Australia, late on Thursday. These meetings will centre on a deal to give Australia, a partner in a defence treaty, a fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.
Prior to a meeting with the Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Austin stated that both nations are concerned about China’s defiance of international rules and norms that call for peaceful and non-coercive conflict resolution.
Austin, alluding to the People’s Republic of China, told reporters, “We’ve seen troubling P.R.C. coercion from the East China Sea to the South China Sea to right here in the Southwest Pacific.”
He continued, “We’ll continue to support our partners and allies as they defend themselves against bullying behaviour.”
China has recently put a number of legal and unofficial trade restrictions on Australian exports, including those of timber, coal, wine, barley, beef, and seafood. Many people believe that the obstacles are a retaliatory measure against Australian government policy, which has cost Australian exporters up to $15 billion annually.
Since the inauguration of a new Australian government last year, Australia’s chilly relationship with Beijing has begun to warm. Meanwhile, the bilateral relationship is elevated by the disclosure of American nuclear secrets to Australia.
Before the year is up, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intends to make state visits to China and the United States.
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