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The recently released Defence Strategic Review tiptoes around China as a source of risk, according to former Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings.
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The senior fellow held a public debate with Defence Connect senior analyst Steve Kuper during the Defence Connect DSR Summit at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney earlier today.
The event is a gathering of the defence industry and the strategic policy community to discuss and explore the impact of the Albanese government’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR).
The meeting is run with the support of principal partner Investment NSW and engagement partner Pyne & Partners.
Jennings outlined several sections of the DSR which he referred to as silliness around Indo-Pacific politics.
“Intense China–United States competition is the defining feature of our region and our time. Major power competition in our region has the potential to threaten our interests, including the potential for conflict,” the DSR stated.
“China’s military build-up is now the largest and most ambitious of any country since the end of the Second World War. This build-up is occurring without transparency or reassurance to the Indo-Pacific region of China’s strategic intent.
“Australia will continue to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, manage our differences wisely, and, above all else, engage in and vigorously pursue our own national interest.”
Jennings said the DSR edges around the prickly subject of China at a time when Australia has already chosen sides.
“It misreads the source of the risk, the source of the risk is China,” he said.
“It misreads that we are just watching this (on the sidelines), but we are actually heavily invested in this competition.
“I think that language is giving the government an opportunity not to talk about China … These three paragraphs would have to have been the three most talked about in the review.
“I am pleased that the document has said what we all know to be true, but there is plenty of transparency about what China is doing. (It can be found) In Xi Jinping’s speeches and writing, government documents; strategy running counter to the current global order.”
Jennings said Australia is by no means neutral in this US–China rivalry.
“Australians aren’t silly and are, to a certain extent, ahead of our politicians at the moment.”
