Australian, Chinese defence ministers discuss recent dangerous incidents

The two defence ministers met on the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this week. Convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Shangri-La Dialogue – which took place from 31 May to 2 June – offers attending nations to collaborate on key security issues.

“We can have the deepest understanding of each other’s behaviours when we’re engaging in operations, so that those exercises, those operations, can be safe. Obviously, we have seen some unsafe incidents, which were both unsafe and unprofessional,” Minister Marles said during an interview with Sky News on 2 June.

“We’ve spoken about them, and I obviously raised them with Minister Dong. But having a dialogue of that kind in place allows us to have a much better understanding of what we’re doing and creates much greater safety for the men and women who wear our uniform.

“Certainly, those two incidents in the last six or seven months warrant that. You know, I pointed out that there are a whole lot of interactions between our defence forces [that] are professional and safe. So, it’s possible for us to engage in a way where we do deal with each other in that manner. But it can’t be most of the time; it needs to be all the time because, obviously, those two incidents gave rise to some circumstances [that] could have been very – were dangerous.

“Obviously, China has its position, but it’s very important that from Australia’s point of view, make what where we’re speaking with a clear voice, which we have both publicly and privately on this, and that no one is in any doubt as to, firstly, what happened, but secondly, what our position is.”

Minister Marles said there is a lot of interaction between the Australian Defence Force and the Chinese Navy, the Chinese Air Force, when the ADF is engaging in activities, such as Operation Argos.

“It’s important that the world understands what is happening here; that is why we make it public. We also, of course, raise these issues with China immediately, as we did with both of these incidents when they occurred. And in doing that, you know, we’re pretty consistent with the practice of other countries in this respect as well,” Minister Marles said.

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“We have a defence dialogue with China, and we have an ongoing engagement with China. It is a complex relationship. And I think it’s probably right to articulate it in terms of requiring skill.

“We want to cooperate with China. We really want to have the most productive relationship that we can have with China. We want to be sensible, professional, respectful about the way in which we engage with China ... we definitely do not want to gratuitously antagonise China; that’s not what we’re trying to do.

“But at the same time, it is important that we speak to our national interests, that there is never any question about that, and that when there are matters that need to be said, we say them, and we say them with a clear, articulate voice, and that is what we’ve done in relation to these incidents, for example.

“Ultimately, what drives all of our engagement is Australia’s national interest. That is the guiding light in terms of how we behave. I think countries can understand and respect that position, and based on that, we’ve been able to stabilise the relationship with China.”

During the same event in Singapore, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III was questioned about whether the nuclear-powered submarine technology transfer afforded to Australia could also be extended to South Korea, which has previously had a desire for nuclear-powered submarines.

“The initiative that we’ve taken on with Australia and the UK is one that will provide stability and security – assist in providing stability and security for the region for decades to come,” Austin III said.

“This is a generational investment. This is no small endeavour. It is very, very difficult to go through each piece of this. And so, we’ve just started down this path with Australia. Highly doubtful that we could take on another initiative of this type any time in the near future.

“But I would also point out ... what a strong ally the ROK is for us. And the fact that – that we have depended on each other and will continue to depend on each other for the foreseeable future. And we’re seeing so many positive things in the region. The relationship, the improving relationship between Japan, the ROK, and the US, I mean, this trilateral relationship is where it, in my view, has never been in recent past.

“So, taking on that kind of endeavour on top of what we’re working through right now, I think, would be very, very difficult for us.”