Australia will train Pacific nations' troops under a Labor promise that intensifies the political debate over China's influence in the region auspol australiavotes
Australia would establish a Pacific defence school to train its neighbours’ armed forces under a Labor government in a promise that intensifies the national security debate over China’s potential military expansion into the region.
The opposition will pledge $8 million a year to expand the reach of Australian broadcasting, $6.5 million over four years for the Defence school, and an extra $12 million a year for the Pacific Maritime Security program., Defence Minister Peter Dutton cast back to the Gallipoli campaign and the rising dictatorships of the 1930s in backing up Morrison’s comments on Monday morning that the “arc of authoritarianism” was troubling the region.
During Darwin’s dawn service, Morrison spoke of coercion “troubling our region again” as Australia grapples with the diplomatic and strategic upset of China’s security pact with Solomon Islands. “We need to see better investment and better engagement in the region ... rather than react after the fact,” he said.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence and national security director Michael Shoebridge said Dutton was sending the message that deterrence was a combination of credible military power and the political will to use it, but Australia’s defence capacity was “achingly slow”. Neil James, executive director of Australia Defence Association, said Shoebridge’s assessment was “spot on”.
“We have a track record for speaking too loudly and carrying a stick that’s too small,” he said, adding that Morrison’s talk of a red line being crossed risked “making things worse for Australia”, including in its relations with Indonesia, which has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to its G20 summit.
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