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#21755231 at 2024-10-13 04:00:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 91
Australia / China Tensions - Page 6
>>21494416 'Godsend': Australia wins support for policing pact to counter China - Nuku'alofa, Tonga: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has scored a significant diplomatic victory, locking in support from Pacific leaders for a far-ranging $400 million policing pact designed to counter China's growing security presence in the region. The quicker-than-expected show of support for the Pacific Policing Initiative came despite pushback from some Pacific leaders, who said the pact was "cryptic" and risked entangling the Pacific in the superpower rivalry between China and Western nations led by the United States. Albanese and three fellow leaders announced on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga on Tuesday that the policing agreement had been endorsed by forum leaders. While stressing the initiative will be "Pacific-led", Australia will be the main funder for the initiative, spending $400 million over five years on the pact and setting up a new co-ordination hub at Australian Federal Police facilities in Brisbane. The initiative will also see four regional training centres established across the Pacific, beginning with Papua New Guinea, and the creation of a new multinational standing police unit ready to respond to natural disasters or other crises. Progress on the policing pact has rankled Beijing, with the state-owned Global Times newspaper quoting an expert saying the agreement "not only violates general principles in international relations, but also infringes on [Pacific nations'] sovereignty to independently choose co-operation partners".
>>21494421 Anthony Albanese tries his hand at soft-touch diplomacy at Pacific Islands Forum - Anthony Albanese has sealed a major agreement with Pacific Island nations to create region-wide police response force, in a blow to China's ambitions to expand its security support for the region. Australian taxpayers will foot the bill for the "Pacific-led" initiative, paying $400m over the next five years to stand up a multi-country Pacific Police Support Group and establish new police training centres across the region. At least four police training centres will be opened in Pacific countries under the new law and order partnership, starting with Papua New Guinea, while a new co-ordination hub will be established in Brisbane to prepare Pacific police force members for regional deployments. Forum members will contribute members to the standing police response force, which will be deployed to respond to civil unrest, natural disasters and major regional events. "This policing initiative continues a long history of Pacific police forces working together to strengthen regional peace and security, and to support each other in times of need," Mr Albanese said. "The security of the Pacific is the shared responsibility of the Pacific region and this initiative benefits each of our nations." Mr Albanese won the support of regional counterparts for the initiative despite a warning by Vanuatu - one of China's closest partner's in the region. "We need to make sure this (initiative) is framed to fit our purposes and not developed to suit the geo-strategic interests and geo-strategic denial security postures of our big partners," Vanuatu's Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said.
>>21500024 Anthony Albanese caught on camera joking about Pacific Policing Initiative with top US official Kurt Campbell - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has bridled at questions from journalists about a private conversation where he joked with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell about splitting the cost of the Pacific Policing Initiative announced yesterday in Tonga. Last night Radio New Zealand journalist Lydia Lewis filmed Mr Albanese and the top US official discussing the ambitious plan, which could reshape the way policing is conducted across the region. In the video, Mr Albanese calls the announcement a "cracker" and said the initiative would make "such a difference" in the Pacific. Mr Campbell called the plan "fantastic." He also suggested that the US had been contemplating a similar initiative until Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd asked them not to. "I talked with Kevin about it and so you know, we were going to do something like that and he asked us not to so we did not," he said. "We've given you the lane, so take the lane!" After that Mr Albanese joked that the US could wear some of the cost of the initiative. "We can go halfsies on the cost if you like," he laughed. "Only cost you a bit." Mr Albanese brushed off the exchange when he was asked about it this morning, saying there were no plans for the US to help cover the initiative's $400 million dollar price tag.

#21607505 at 2024-09-17 11:10:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21607503

2/2

Dean makes the risible claim that I and my colleagues are "claiming an elaborate conspiracy theory" in "asking people to ignore the statements of their own government about us having control of these (submarine) capabilities". Of course our government will insist that it retains control as to how these assets are used, as will always be the case on paper. But the reality, should serious tensions erupt, will be very different.

It defies credibility to think that Washington will ever go ahead with its sale of Virginias to us in the absence of an understanding that they will join the US in any fight in which it chooses to engage anywhere in our region, particularly over Taiwan. Are we all just meant to ignore Kurt Campbell's indiscreet observation at the time of the AUKUS announcement that "we have them locked in now for the next 40 years"? I have had personal ministerial experience of being a junior allied partner of the US in a hot conflict situation - the first Gulf War in 1991 - and my recollections are not pretty.

Even more troubling is the uncritical acceptance by Beazley, Dibb and Pezzullo of the loss of sovereign agency, which they acknowledge, with varying degrees of frankness, is necessarily involved in our embrace of the AUKUS submarine project. Pezzullo goes so far as to cheer what he describes as "a 'pooling of sovereignty' in the face of a belligerent China".

All this is not just depressing but sickening for all those Australians who have long nurtured the belief that we are a fiercely independent nation, ever more conscious of the need to engage constructively, creatively and sensitively with our own Indo-Pacific neighbourhood. And a country that had put behind us the "fear of abandonment", which had been so central to our defence and diplomacy for so much of the last century: recognising, as Paul Keating continues to put it so articulately, that we need to find our security in Asia, not from Asia.

For all practical purposes, our AUKUS commitment may well now be irreversible. But so too is likely to be the judgment that this will prove one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions Australia has ever made.

Gareth Evans was Australia's foreign minister from 1988-96. He is a distinguished honorary professor at the ANU.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/why-aukus-is-not-in-australias-interests-a-response-by-labors-elders/news-story/c3673d4cf516899d82ed9933f4fde789

#21520879 at 2024-09-02 10:17:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21509573
>>21510024
>>21510053
'We'll remove it': Pacific caves to China's demand to exclude Taiwan from leaders communique

Lydia Lewis - 1 September 2024

The Pacific Islands Forum has submitted to China's demand to remove the mention of Taiwan from the final communique of the leaders' summit that concluded in Tonga this week.

Kiribati wants to see consequences for whoever is behind the Taiwan communique bungle, after Beijing's special envoy to the region cried foul at the inclusion of Taipei in the outcomes document.

On Friday, China's Ambassador to the Pacific, Qian Bo, was furious after the PIF Secretariat released the final communique which included a section in which Pacific leaders "reaffirmed" their relations with Taiwan.

Qian told journalists that affirming reference to Taiwan "must be a mistake" and "must be corrected", and soon after the document was taken down from the PIF website.

The moment Qian asks the PIF past chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to remove the Taiwan reference has been caught on camera by RNZ Pacific.

"We'll remove it, I'll talk to you about it later," Brown can be heard saying to Beijing's top diplomat.

Qian's outburst has since been reported widely with some Pacific political commentators suggesting it demonstrates how Beijing throws its weight to exert its influence the region.

The Forum Secretariat has "re-issued" a new version of the communique, which according to a PIF spokesperson is "correct version of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Communique".

This new version has removed the following section: "Relations with Taiwan/Republic of China: 66. Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China."

"The version as finalised does not change nor impact the decisions of the meeting, nor any standing decisions of the Forum Leaders," the spokesperson said in an email response.

"The Communique is a consensus based document, reflecting the agreed decisions and views of all the Pacific Islands Forum," they added.

Reacting to Qian's comments, Kiribati's head of delegation said the Taiwan-China "issue is very sensitive".

"We believe that the inclusion of the Taiwan can cause problems," Kiribati's Education Minister Alexander Teabo told RNZ Pacific on Saturday as he was departing Tonga.

"China is more than the normal ally that we can depend on… and respect so much.

"The reality [is that] the Taiwan and China case it is politics within the China Sea, and if you look at the UN they recognise China," he said.

Teabo said the Pacific nations who were "affiliated to Taiwan want Taiwan to be included" in the forum.

"We, the majority [Pacific Islands Forum members], are following China. We believe that China will be frustrated," he said.

"[Taiwan] was discussed and in a manner that only some [PIF members] are talking about, but for us, we respected the one China policy."

Teabo said there should be consequences for the bungle.

"I think, yeah, should be," he responded.

"Taiwan and China have their own internal politics...and now pushing it into the forum, we think that it is going to be sort of trying to push their way into our forum family," Teabo added.

There were mixed reactions from other government officials who RNZ Pacific spoke to on the issue - with one saying they were disappointed that the PIF Secretariat let the Taiwan section slide, with another saying it was not a big deal.

Earlier in the week, Nauru's President told RNZ Pacific that he was pleased with Pacific unity despite differences of opinion on "some issues", although he did not elaborate on the what the issues were.

'Pacific is big enough'

Qian Bo has said only three out of 18 forum member countries recognised Taiwan, saying "they are trying to, you know, disrupt".

"Taiwan is part of China.

"Pacific is big enough for all of us to work together," he said, adding "we consider New Zealand is our strategic partner in many respects."

This week, the United States deputy secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, said that Washington welcomed any country that was committed to improving the living standards of Pacific peoples, including China.

"China's engagement in some of these areas is unobjectionable," he said.

However, he said concerns about Beijing's intentions and engagement in the region remained.

"We do have concerns in certain areas where China has supported undemocratic elements and where we have seen abuses in fishing practices, and also we are concerned by the potential for power projection capabilities into a region of peace," Campbell said.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/526760/we-ll-remove-it-pacific-caves-to-china-s-demand-to-exclude-taiwan-from-leaders-communique

https://x.com/LydiaLewisRNZ/status/1830149647740125644

#21510053 at 2024-08-31 01:18:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21483208
>>21494416
>>21509573
>>21510024
China condemns support for Taiwan at Pacific leaders' forum

Envoy calls language in joint communique 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake'

SHAUN TURTON and RURIKA IMAHASHI - August 30, 2024

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga - China's special envoy for the Pacific, Qian Bo, on Friday slammed a joint communique by Pacific Islands Forum leaders that affirmed support for Taiwan's participation in PIF events, calling the reference to the self-governing island a "mistake" that should be "corrected."

The joint communique states that PIF leaders "reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China," a reference to when Taiwan became a PIF "development partner."

Qian's remarks came on the final day of the 53rd PIF leaders' meeting in Tonga, following a closing news conference by PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa and the leaders of Tonga, the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands, who are the current, preceding and next chairs of the PIF.

The Chinese envoy communicated his displeasure to Waqa immediately after the news conference in a contentious exchange that highlights how tensions over Taiwan, and China's role in the region, have simmered beneath the surface of the meeting and in the increasingly contested region.

China has been pushing to strip Taiwan of its position as a PIF development partner and thwart its attendance at next year's meeting in the Solomon Islands, which has been accused of acting as a proxy for Beijing's efforts.

After the news conference, Nikkei Asia witnessed a visibly angry Qian confront Waqa, the former president of Nauru, and call the statement "unacceptable." Qian then spoke with Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka.

The Chinese envoy then spoke to journalists outside.

"Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan is not a dialogue partner of PIF, so China has the representation on behalf of the whole China, including Taiwan and the mainland," Qian said.

Asked about the clause related to Taiwan, he said "it must be a mistake," as 15 of the 18 PIF members "have categorically stated they abide by the 'One-China' principle."

"This is a surprising mistake made by someone, I'm not sure, but it must be corrected," he said. "What we learned is there are clear opposition by membership that the Taiwan issue should not be discussed at this point.

"This should not be a final communique, there must be a correction on the text. We have already talked to the secretariat, to the [secretary-general] and some other delegations. … We have received wide understanding and support."

With pledges of aid, Beijing has been making appeals to Taiwan's diplomatic partners in the region, with Kiribati and the Solomon Islands recognizing China in 2019 and Nauru switching its ties earlier this year.

The Solomon Islands' Agovaka called into question Taiwan's participation with PIF but denied his country was acting as a proxy for China.

"We are not working on behalf of China. As I said, this is about sovereignty. China is a sovereign state, Solomon Islands is a sovereign state, our friends from Taiwan are not a sovereign state," he told Nikkei on Friday.

Three PIF members - Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau - have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Speaking to Nikkei Asia on the sidelines, Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo said that while he wasn't aware of a specific push to exclude Taiwan, he was emphatically against any such move.

"Firstly I'm not aware of it, but if they do, we will seriously oppose such a proposal, and it's very surprising the Solomons would even think of raising it, because that will also disrespect the three countries that have relationships with Taiwan," he said.

The furor over Taiwan threatened to overshadow the leaders' meeting, where climate change topped the agenda. During a meeting on Wednesday between PIF members and the body's 21 dialogue partners, the U.S. and China struck a collaborative tone, with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell suggesting cooperating on climate change action in the Pacific.

"This is an initiative made by the United States, and this, in our view, is constructive because we have all along called for cooperation in the region," Qian said.

Other outcomes of the meeting included more pledges for the Pacific-led climate change adaptation fund, the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), as well as a promise by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to organize a fundraising event. The PRF has $137 million, but leaders want to reach $250 million by January.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-condemns-support-for-Taiwan-at-Pacific-leaders-forum

https://forumsec.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/53rd%20Pacific%20Islands%20Forum%20Communique.pdf

https://forumsec.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/53rd%20Pacific%20Islands%20Forum%20Communique_FINAL.pdf

#21500024 at 2024-08-29 09:50:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21483208
>>21494416
Anthony Albanese caught on camera joking about Pacific Policing Initiative with top US official Kurt Campbell

Stephen Dziedzic - 29 August 2024

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has bridled at questions from journalists about a private conversation where he joked with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell about splitting the cost of the Pacific Policing Initiative announced yesterday in Tonga.

Last night Radio New Zealand journalist Lydia Lewis filmed Mr Albanese and the top US official discussing the ambitious plan, which could reshape the way policing is conducted across the region.

In the video, Mr Albanese calls the announcement a "cracker" and said the initiative would make "such a difference" in the Pacific.

Mr Campbell called the plan "fantastic." He also suggested that the US had been contemplating a similar initiative until Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd asked them not to.

"I talked with Kevin about it and so you know, we were going to do something like that and he asked us not to so we did not," he said.

"We've given you the lane, so take the lane!"

After that Mr Albanese joked that the US could wear some of the cost of the initiative.

"We can go halfsies on the cost if you like," he laughed.

"Only cost you a bit."

After that exchange the Pacific Minister Pat Conroy appears to intervene after noticing the journalist recording, asking her to stop.

Mr Albanese brushed off the exchange when he was asked about it this morning in Nuku'alofa ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders retreat on the northern island of Vava'u, saying there were no plans for the US to help cover the initiative's $400 million dollar price tag.

"No, he won't, because this has come from the Pacific. And I'm aware of the video of a private conversation," he said.

"Kurt Campbell's a mate of mine, it's us having a chat," he said.

The prime minister became visibly irritated when journalists continued to press him on the exchange, and suggested it was unethical for Ms Lewis to record him.

"Someone, you know, it's up to them, to whoever did that, to think about their own ethics when it comes to journalism," he said.

"It was a private conversation. It was a jovial conversation, and a friendly one - you know, it is what it is. People try and read something into it, you must be pretty bored, frankly."

He also brushed off questions about the initiative Mr Campbell appeared to allude to, saying the deputy secretary of state had been misinterpreted.

The comment comes after some Melanesian leaders raised concerns that the new Pacific initiative shouldn't be used to bolster Australia's strategic interests through a strategy of "denial" - a clear reference to boxing out China from the region's security arrangements.

When he asked if his joke with Mr Campbell might exacerbate those anxieties, Mr Albanese insisted that no Pacific leaders had raised any concerns during the leaders meeting yesterday.

"No one's raised that yesterday. Not a single person at the plenary, raised that yesterday. This is Pacific led, and it's a cracker of an announcement," he said.

In a statement, RNZ defended Ms Lewis, who wrote in her own story on the comments that she caught the conversation while filming cutaway shots during an event open to media.

"RNZ stands by its reporter and its reporting," said RNZ chief news officer Mark Stevens.

"Having spoken to our reporter, there is nothing to suggest they acted unethically or outside of our rigorous editorial policies."

Agreement raises hopes for New Caledonia mission

Mr Albanese arrived in Tonga on Tuesday to join regional leaders at the forum, where violent unrest in New Caledonia is among other items on the agenda.

France has struck an agreement with local officials in New Caledonia and Pacific leaders which should allow a high-level regional delegation to visit the troubled Pacific territory shortly.

A planned mission with three Pacific leaders had to be postponed last week because France and officials in New Caledonia could not agree on who had ultimate control over the visit.

But France's ambassador to the Pacific, Veronique Roger-Lacan, confirmed that the terms for the Pacific mission had been settled, and simply had to be ticked off by Pacific leaders today during their retreat at Vava'u.

"The mission will be an information mission," she said.

"The time and duration of the mission will have to be decided, in discussion with the [Pacific Islands Forum], the French state, and the government of New Caledonia."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-29/albanese-top-us-official-filmed-in-private-chat-pacific/104283976

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/526460/us-gives-australia-the-lane-on-pacific-policing-Campbell

https://x.com/LydiaLewisRNZ/status/1828624388599763096

#21494417 at 2024-08-28 09:15:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21494416

2/2

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said it had been a "godsend" for Pacific police officers to receive training overseas, adding he was sure the new initiative would "succeed for our benefit".

A day earlier, Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai told fellow Pacific leaders that "we need to make sure that this [policing initiative] is framed to fit our purposes and not developed to suit the geostrategic interests and geostrategic denial security postures of our big partners".

Leonard Louma, director-general of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, described the pact as a worthy initiative but said many aspects of it remain "cryptic" and should benefit locals rather than "the geostrategic denial security doctrine of our big partners".

The Melanesian Spearhead Group includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Mihai Sora, a Pacific expert at the Lowy Institute and former diplomat in the region, said: "Australia would be celebrating this as a win for the region, and an endorsement of Australia's role as the main security partner for Pacific Island countries".

"It's not an easy thing for so many diverse countries to come together to agree on something so complex and sensitive as regional security co-operation," he said.

While noting that Pacific countries could still pursue individual policing agreements with China, Sora said that "this initiative aims to fill those gaps in policing that China purports to be responding to".

One of the United States' most important foreign policing officials, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, is in Tonga for the forum, reflecting the US's renewed attention on the region.

During his trip, Campbell will also open a new US embassy in Vanuatu.

Albanese and Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo on Wednesday celebrated the entry into force of the Falepili Union, a landmark climate resettlement treaty announced last year, with Albanese describing it as "groundbreaking".

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pacific-leaders-wary-of-australia-s-cryptic-policing-pact-20240828-p5k5w5.html

#21348313 at 2024-08-04 11:50:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21252868
>>21273950
Powerful Republicans back AUKUS under Trump

Matthew Cranston - Aug 4, 2024

Washington | Australia's sovereignty of nuclear-powered submarines will be guaranteed under the AUKUS defence pact if Donald Trump wins back the White House at the November election, two top Republican senators said.

Ranking members of the powerful US Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees Jim Risch and Marco Rubio said Australia would still have control of the submarines by the early 2030s even if America's own production targets were not met.

The US Navy submarine building program is substantially stretched, prompting concerns about shipbuilding delays and budget cutbacks. It has also raised concerns about whether the US would seek to keep control of vessels sold to Australia and determine where they are positioned to cover any shortfalls in its own fleet.

"The sovereignty issue has been resolved. Australia is going to have submarines to use as submarines, the US has got submarines to use as submarines, and the sovereignty over the submarine is not an issue," Senator Risch told The Australian Financial Review.

"If you have them, they're yours, if we have ours, they're ours!"

The comments come as the US secretary of defence and the secretary of state are set this week to meet with their Australian counterparts for annual talks in Annapolis. The ministers are expected to question delays over the US relaxing defence export controls to foster defence trade under the AUKUS pact between the US, Australia and Britain.

Senator Risch, a top Republican whose endorsement of Trump before the Iowa caucus in January helped him regain control of the Republican Party, said he did not think Trump would renege on the AUKUS arrangements, most of which have now passed Congress as law. "I don't think that's going to be an issue whichever administration it will be," Senator Risch said. "I'd be careful until when the election is over before you start writing stories about who's going to do what."

Under the AUKUS plan, Australia is meant to receive the first of at least three Virginia-class submarines from the United States in 2032 to avoid a capability gap while the first British-designed submarines are being built in Adelaide.

However, transfer of the American submarines hinges on production in the US increasing to an average of 2.33 boats a year. Shipbuilding is languishing at 1.2 to 1.3 boats annually because of industrial bottlenecks and other problems.

'If we can't trust Australia, who can we trust?'

Senator Risch described that as a "short term" issue and that, "If you're talking medium to long term, it is not an issue."

"We are doing what we need to do in conjunction with the Aussies, to ensure that we can produce the number of submarines we need to produce."

Senator Rubio said some of the shipbuilding projects are behind schedule because of labour disruptions and other problems.

"But I don't think that in any way undermines the commitment that we have, particularly given our shared concerns about the threats in the Indo-Pacific from an increasingly aggressive China," Senator Rubio told the Financial Review in a separate interview.

A key focus on AUSMIN discussions on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) will be implementing the new export controls to allow the US to share and trade closely guarded defence technology with Australia. In April, the Biden administration delayed relaxing the strictly controlled regulations by 120 days.

Senator Risch, who vented his frustration over the delays in a report released last week, said he had held many discussions with Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to try to resolve the issue.

"Kevin and I have worked together on this a lot. And I have told him that I am incredibly impatient with the [Biden] administration - that they act as if we are dealing with maybe not an adversary, but a neutral party."

"But Australia is a long, long time, reliable partner on national security issues. We're both part of the Five Eyes [intelligence alliance]. We have a history that goes way back. If we can't trust Australia, who can we trust?"

"I wish we were getting to it quicker, but it's a difference in opinion as to what the level of certainty needs to be. And I have a different view of that than the administration."

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/powerful-republicans-back-aukus-under-trump-20240804-p5jz87

#21252211 at 2024-07-20 14:40:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 98
Australia / China Tensions - Part 22
>>21172337 China disputes 'smear and frame' cyber attack report - China has criticised the US global surveillance network as it faces questions about a multinational report saying a Chinese government-backed hacking group is repeatedly targeting governments across the Pacific. The Australian government took the forthright step of naming the Sino-backed group APT40 in a report released on Tuesday. Five Eyes allies Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK co-authored the report, as did Germany, South Korea and Japan. "We are firmly opposed to such repeated hypes about so-called 'Chinese cyber attacks' aimed to smear and frame China on cybersecurity," People's Republic Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in China on Tuesday. Chinese institutions had analysis showing US APT (advanced persistent threat) groups spread "disinformation", hyping up the Chinese cyber attack threat, Mr Lin said. "(The US is) using its tech predominance to carry out massive cyberspace surveillance all over the world," he said. The Australian government report says APT40 is actively conducting regular reconnaissance against networks of interest in Australia, looking for opportunities to compromise its targets. "The tradecraft described in this advisory is regularly observed against Australian networks," it says in the Australian Signals Directorate report. The APT40 group conducts malicious cyber operations for the People's Republic of China Ministry of State Security, it says in the report.
>>21185603 Australia and allies must spend more on defence to stop 'peril' of our times, Kurt Campbell warns - Australia, the US and other allied nations must increase their defence budgets and military preparedness because of the "enormous peril" of the times we live in and China's increased strategic co-operation with Russia, Iran and North Korea, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has warned. Dr Campbell is Washington's single most influential policy figure on Asia. He became Deputy Secretary of State after three years in the White House as the national security council co-?ordinator on the Indo-Pacific. In the Obama administration, he was assistant secretary of state for East Asia and before that held important positions in the Pentagon. In a first for any US administration, Dr Campbell told The Australian that China was actively seeking to establish a military base in the South Pacific. The Australian government believes such a development would be catastrophic for Australian and New Zealand security, but Washington and Canberra have previously been shy of explicitly and publicly calling out Beijing's military intentions. This Chinese ambition poses a permanent challenge for Australian and American diplomacy. "They're looking across the Pacific," Dr Campbell said. "This is something where we're never going to be able to rest." He said Chinese interests in the South Pacific extended far beyond a military base: "They're looking for a variety of things. There are vast fishing resources in the Pacific which are being over-fished by Chinese fishing fleets. "When China looks at its space operations, they need nodes on the ground. They've built some of those nodes in the South Pacific. "They're looking for steaming sites, places for resupply and power projection."
>>21217753 Xi meets PMs of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu; visits deepen bilateral ties - "Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele and Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai in Beijing on Friday. During the meeting with Manele, Xi said that China is ready to enhance strategic communication with the Solomon Islands to firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and addressing major concerns, enhance the synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategy of the Solomon Islands. China's friendly cooperation with the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries is a sincere effort to assist these island nations in achieving development, falls within the framework of South-South cooperation, and is part of the common development of the Global South, without targeting any third party or seeking any selfish gain, he said. When meeting with Salwai, Xi said China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Vanuatu without attaching any political conditions, to help it achieve development and prosperity. Xi emphasized that China is committed to equality among all countries, big or small, and adheres to the principle of combining justice with interests while prioritizing justice. China does not seek major-power competition or geopolitical spheres of influence. It does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or force them to take sides." - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

#21252142 at 2024-07-20 14:30:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 72
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 1
>>20890833 New report warns plan to extend life of the Collins Class submarine is a 'high risk endeavour' - The Albanese government has been warned that the $5bn plan to extend the life of the navy's ageing fleet of Collins-class submarines for another decade is a perilously high-risk endeavour that is not guaranteed to succeed. Australia's ability to defend itself using submarines over the next decade would be in jeopardy if the plan to extend the life of the Collins-class fleet cannot be achieved, given that the first of the nuclear-powered AUKUS submarines is not due to arrive in Australia until 2032. An interim report and verbal briefings delivered to the government have revealed significant technical challenges to the planned $5bn Life of Type Extension to the six Collins-class sub?marines due to begin in 2026. The classified assessment of the LOTE project, by former US navy deputy assistant secretary Gloria Valdez, was commissioned by the government last October to assess the viability of the plan to extend the life of the Collins boats to ensure that Australia "retains an enduring, potent and agile submarine capability".
>>20903732 'No obligation' to go to war under AUKUS, US general says - One of the US military's top Indo-Pacific commanders says America will not "kidnap" Australian sailors serving on its nuclear submarines if it finds itself in a war with China, declaring there was "no expectation" that Australia would follow the US into such a conflict. As Beijing launched "punishment" exercises in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration of the territory's new president, Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka said the US was on the alert for a Chinese invasion of the self-governing island within the next three years. General Sklenka, the deputy commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, said the Chinese were "bullies" harassing other nations' ships and aircraft with "dangerous behaviour" that could escalate into conflict. Joe Biden's No. 2 diplomat Kurt Campbell in April suggested that Australia's future nuclear-powered submarines could one day be deployed against China in a conflict over Taiwan but General Sklenka told the National Press Club that the AUKUS pact did not obligate Australia to fight alongside the US in any future conflict. "When they're on our submarines, we don't kidnap them," he said. "There's no expectation of anybody participating in any conflict with us because those decisions are national sovereign decisions. The US can't, and we don't, dictate that."
>>20921910 Australia had almost no submarines available for more than four years as China awakened - In one of the most tightly held national security secrets in the country's history, Australia had almost no submarines available to defend itself for at least four years from 2009 to 2012 during the Rudd/Gillard governments. It was an embarrassing bungle that could have had tragic consequences in a conflict but was considered too sensitive to reveal publicly at a time when China was aggressively expanding its navy. The shocking history of the mismanagement of the six-boat Collins class submarine fleet at that time had the effect of delaying any discussion inside the government of building new submarines for years. The revelation of the parlous state of the nation's submarine fleet a decade ago, caused by poor planning, no spare parts, shoddy maintenance and a lack of crews, is contained in the first comprehensive history of the Collins class fleet by defence analyst Andrew Davies, to be published by ASPI on Tuesday. It reveals that the then Labor defence minister Stephen Smith, now Australia's High Commissioner in London, was told in 2010 that there was all but zero submarine capability available to defend the country at that time -- a fact that could not be released publicly.

#21252030 at 2024-07-20 14:11:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 48
Australian Politics and Society - Part 32
>>21172294 Marles to meet Trump Republicans on US trip as Biden fights for his future - Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will meet Trump Republicans to shore up ongoing support for the AUKUS submarine deal as the world braces for another potential shake-up of American leadership at this year's US election. But as Joe Biden fights for his political life following his devastating performance in the first presidential debate, Marles - who is in Washington for the NATO summit - threw his support behind the embattled president, praising the global alliances forged under his administration. "We could not be more pleased with that, and we're certainly very pleased about the focus that the Biden administration has placed on the Indo-Pacific, and on the issues which are front and centre for Australia," he said. "We are seeing strong leadership by America ... and that is absolutely critical in terms of the challenges that the world faces today."
>>21172356 U.S. Embassy Australia Tweet: Statement by U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy on the passing of Australian Coastwatchers Jim Burrowes and Ronald (Dixie) Lee - "I'd like to pay tribute to Jim Burrowes and Ronald (Dixie) Lee, the last two surviving Australian Coastwatchers who both passed away this week. Shortly after I arrived in Australia, I had the privilege to meet and honor Jim and Dixie at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. Through their stories and memories, I learned more about the heroism of the hundreds of Australian and Pacific Islander Coastwatchers and scouts who braved difficult conditions during World War II to monitor enemy movements and save lives, including my father's. An Australian Coastwatcher and two Solomon Islander scouts rescued my father and his crew when their PT109 sank in the Solomon Islands. My sympathies go out to Jim and Dixie's families and friends---I am truly grateful for their service."
>>21178010 Democrats 'evenly divided' on Biden as US announces new diplomatic initiative with Australia - A key Democratic congress member says that the party is split on whether to replace President Joe Biden and has no practical way to do it, even as the US announces a new diplomatic initiative including Australia. The most important Congressional advocate for the AUKUS partnership, Joe Courtney, said that US democracy and national security would be at risk if Donald Trump were to win the presidential election. "Right now they are both risk factors because of the poor debate [performance by Biden]," he said. The paralysis in the party was no hindrance to the Biden administration's diplomacy, said US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Campbell said that despite the Democrat leadership dilemma, a four-nation grouping of Indo-Pacific democracies - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea - would now be launched as a new, standalone diplomatic entity and partner for the US. The leaders of this group, the so-called Indo-Pacific Four or IP4, have been invited to join NATO summits in recent years, acknowledging that they share some of the same concerns as the NATO allies. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles plus the leaders of the other three IP4 countries are in Washington this week for NATO's 75th anniversary summit. Campbell said that the group of four had developed into a new entity. "What you'll see is a clear set of guidelines and initiatives designed to embed the IP4 into this nascent architecture that is emerging in the Indo-Pacific," Campbell said. "We fully expect the IP4 to join AUKUS and the Quad as fundamental features of the diplomatic and military architecture and dialogue of the Pacific."

#21251714 at 2024-07-20 13:26:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 98
Australia / China Tensions - Part 22
>>21172337 China disputes 'smear and frame' cyber attack report - China has criticised the US global surveillance network as it faces questions about a multinational report saying a Chinese government-backed hacking group is repeatedly targeting governments across the Pacific. The Australian government took the forthright step of naming the Sino-backed group APT40 in a report released on Tuesday. Five Eyes allies Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK co-authored the report, as did Germany, South Korea and Japan. "We are firmly opposed to such repeated hypes about so-called 'Chinese cyber attacks' aimed to smear and frame China on cybersecurity," People's Republic Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in China on Tuesday. Chinese institutions had analysis showing US APT (advanced persistent threat) groups spread "disinformation", hyping up the Chinese cyber attack threat, Mr Lin said. "(The US is) using its tech predominance to carry out massive cyberspace surveillance all over the world," he said. The Australian government report says APT40 is actively conducting regular reconnaissance against networks of interest in Australia, looking for opportunities to compromise its targets. "The tradecraft described in this advisory is regularly observed against Australian networks," it says in the Australian Signals Directorate report. The APT40 group conducts malicious cyber operations for the People's Republic of China Ministry of State Security, it says in the report.
>>21185603 Australia and allies must spend more on defence to stop 'peril' of our times, Kurt Campbell warns - Australia, the US and other allied nations must increase their defence budgets and military preparedness because of the "enormous peril" of the times we live in and China's increased strategic co-operation with Russia, Iran and North Korea, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has warned. Dr Campbell is Washington's single most influential policy figure on Asia. He became Deputy Secretary of State after three years in the White House as the national security council co-?ordinator on the Indo-Pacific. In the Obama administration, he was assistant secretary of state for East Asia and before that held important positions in the Pentagon. In a first for any US administration, Dr Campbell told The Australian that China was actively seeking to establish a military base in the South Pacific. The Australian government believes such a development would be catastrophic for Australian and New Zealand security, but Washington and Canberra have previously been shy of explicitly and publicly calling out Beijing's military intentions. This Chinese ambition poses a permanent challenge for Australian and American diplomacy. "They're looking across the Pacific," Dr Campbell said. "This is something where we're never going to be able to rest." He said Chinese interests in the South Pacific extended far beyond a military base: "They're looking for a variety of things. There are vast fishing resources in the Pacific which are being over-fished by Chinese fishing fleets. "When China looks at its space operations, they need nodes on the ground. They've built some of those nodes in the South Pacific. "They're looking for steaming sites, places for resupply and power projection."
>>21217753 Xi meets PMs of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu; visits deepen bilateral ties - "Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele and Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai in Beijing on Friday. During the meeting with Manele, Xi said that China is ready to enhance strategic communication with the Solomon Islands to firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and addressing major concerns, enhance the synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategy of the Solomon Islands. China's friendly cooperation with the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries is a sincere effort to assist these island nations in achieving development, falls within the framework of South-South cooperation, and is part of the common development of the Global South, without targeting any third party or seeking any selfish gain, he said. When meeting with Salwai, Xi said China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Vanuatu without attaching any political conditions, to help it achieve development and prosperity. Xi emphasized that China is committed to equality among all countries, big or small, and adheres to the principle of combining justice with interests while prioritizing justice. China does not seek major-power competition or geopolitical spheres of influence. It does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or force them to take sides." - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

#21251547 at 2024-07-20 13:04:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 72
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 1
>>20890833 New report warns plan to extend life of the Collins Class submarine is a 'high risk endeavour' - The Albanese government has been warned that the $5bn plan to extend the life of the navy's ageing fleet of Collins-class submarines for another decade is a perilously high-risk endeavour that is not guaranteed to succeed. Australia's ability to defend itself using submarines over the next decade would be in jeopardy if the plan to extend the life of the Collins-class fleet cannot be achieved, given that the first of the nuclear-powered AUKUS submarines is not due to arrive in Australia until 2032. An interim report and verbal briefings delivered to the government have revealed significant technical challenges to the planned $5bn Life of Type Extension to the six Collins-class sub?marines due to begin in 2026. The classified assessment of the LOTE project, by former US navy deputy assistant secretary Gloria Valdez, was commissioned by the government last October to assess the viability of the plan to extend the life of the Collins boats to ensure that Australia "retains an enduring, potent and agile submarine capability".
>>20903732 'No obligation' to go to war under AUKUS, US general says - One of the US military's top Indo-Pacific commanders says America will not "kidnap" Australian sailors serving on its nuclear submarines if it finds itself in a war with China, declaring there was "no expectation" that Australia would follow the US into such a conflict. As Beijing launched "punishment" exercises in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration of the territory's new president, Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka said the US was on the alert for a Chinese invasion of the self-governing island within the next three years. General Sklenka, the deputy commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, said the Chinese were "bullies" harassing other nations' ships and aircraft with "dangerous behaviour" that could escalate into conflict. Joe Biden's No. 2 diplomat Kurt Campbell in April suggested that Australia's future nuclear-powered submarines could one day be deployed against China in a conflict over Taiwan but General Sklenka told the National Press Club that the AUKUS pact did not obligate Australia to fight alongside the US in any future conflict. "When they're on our submarines, we don't kidnap them," he said. "There's no expectation of anybody participating in any conflict with us because those decisions are national sovereign decisions. The US can't, and we don't, dictate that."
>>20921910 Australia had almost no submarines available for more than four years as China awakened - In one of the most tightly held national security secrets in the country's history, Australia had almost no submarines available to defend itself for at least four years from 2009 to 2012 during the Rudd/Gillard governments. It was an embarrassing bungle that could have had tragic consequences in a conflict but was considered too sensitive to reveal publicly at a time when China was aggressively expanding its navy. The shocking history of the mismanagement of the six-boat Collins class submarine fleet at that time had the effect of delaying any discussion inside the government of building new submarines for years. The revelation of the parlous state of the nation's submarine fleet a decade ago, caused by poor planning, no spare parts, shoddy maintenance and a lack of crews, is contained in the first comprehensive history of the Collins class fleet by defence analyst Andrew Davies, to be published by ASPI on Tuesday. It reveals that the then Labor defence minister Stephen Smith, now Australia's High Commissioner in London, was told in 2010 that there was all but zero submarine capability available to defend the country at that time – a fact that could not be released publicly.

#21251408 at 2024-07-20 12:39:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 48
Australian Politics and Society - Part 32
>>21172294 Marles to meet Trump Republicans on US trip as Biden fights for his future - Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will meet Trump Republicans to shore up ongoing support for the AUKUS submarine deal as the world braces for another potential shake-up of American leadership at this year's US election. But as Joe Biden fights for his political life following his devastating performance in the first presidential debate, Marles – who is in Washington for the NATO summit - threw his support behind the embattled president, praising the global alliances forged under his administration. "We could not be more pleased with that, and we're certainly very pleased about the focus that the Biden administration has placed on the Indo-Pacific, and on the issues which are front and centre for Australia," he said. "We are seeing strong leadership by America ... and that is absolutely critical in terms of the challenges that the world faces today."
>>21172356 U.S. Embassy Australia Tweet: Statement by U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy on the passing of Australian Coastwatchers Jim Burrowes and Ronald (Dixie) Lee - "I'd like to pay tribute to Jim Burrowes and Ronald (Dixie) Lee, the last two surviving Australian Coastwatchers who both passed away this week. Shortly after I arrived in Australia, I had the privilege to meet and honor Jim and Dixie at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. Through their stories and memories, I learned more about the heroism of the hundreds of Australian and Pacific Islander Coastwatchers and scouts who braved difficult conditions during World War II to monitor enemy movements and save lives, including my father's. An Australian Coastwatcher and two Solomon Islander scouts rescued my father and his crew when their PT109 sank in the Solomon Islands. My sympathies go out to Jim and Dixie's families and friends—I am truly grateful for their service."
>>21178010 Democrats 'evenly divided' on Biden as US announces new diplomatic initiative with Australia - A key Democratic congress member says that the party is split on whether to replace President Joe Biden and has no practical way to do it, even as the US announces a new diplomatic initiative including Australia. The most important Congressional advocate for the AUKUS partnership, Joe Courtney, said that US democracy and national security would be at risk if Donald Trump were to win the presidential election. "Right now they are both risk factors because of the poor debate [performance by Biden]," he said. The paralysis in the party was no hindrance to the Biden administration's diplomacy, said US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Campbell said that despite the Democrat leadership dilemma, a four-nation grouping of Indo-Pacific democracies - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea - would now be launched as a new, standalone diplomatic entity and partner for the US. The leaders of this group, the so-called Indo-Pacific Four or IP4, have been invited to join NATO summits in recent years, acknowledging that they share some of the same concerns as the NATO allies. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles plus the leaders of the other three IP4 countries are in Washington this week for NATO's 75th anniversary summit. Campbell said that the group of four had developed into a new entity. "What you'll see is a clear set of guidelines and initiatives designed to embed the IP4 into this nascent architecture that is emerging in the Indo-Pacific," Campbell said. "We fully expect the IP4 to join AUKUS and the Quad as fundamental features of the diplomatic and military architecture and dialogue of the Pacific."

#21185603 at 2024-07-12 17:20:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20903732
>>21015578
Australia and allies must spend more on defence to stop 'peril' of our times, Kurt Campbell warns

GREG SHERIDAN - July 11, 2024

1/2

Australia, the US and other allied nations must increase their defence budgets and military preparedness because of the "enormous peril" of the times we live in and China's increased strategic co-operation with Russia, Iran and North Korea, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has warned.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian, held during the Washington meeting of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue, Dr Campbell pointed to the success of the AUKUS agreement in generating research and development in new technologies relevant to the military, but also stressed the need for urgent ?action on defence capabilities.

"I think that's probably the case that we're all going to have to do more," he said.

"We need short-term stocks of critical ordnance. We need more shipbuilding across the alliance."

Dr Campbell is Washington's single most influential policy figure on Asia. He became Deputy Secretary of State after three years in the White House as the national security council co-?ordinator on the Indo-Pacific. In the Obama administration, he was assistant secretary of state for East Asia and before that held important positions in the Pentagon.

In a first for any US administration, Dr Campbell told The Australian that China was actively seeking to establish a military base in the South Pacific.

The Australian government believes such a development would be catastrophic for Australian and New Zealand security, but Washington and Canberra have previously been shy of explicitly and publicly calling out Beijing's military intentions.

This Chinese ambition poses a permanent challenge for Australian and American diplomacy.

"They're looking across the Pacific," Dr Campbell said. "This is something where we're never going to be able to rest."

He said Chinese interests in the South Pacific extended far beyond a military base: "They're looking for a variety of things. There are vast fishing resources in the Pacific which are being over-fished by Chinese fishing fleets.

"When China looks at its space operations, they need nodes on the ground. They've built some of those nodes in the South Pacific.

"They're looking for steaming sites, places for resupply and power projection."

Dr Campbell, who played a critical role in bringing the AUKUS agreement about, also hailed the long-term benefits that AUKUS, plus similar co-operation with other US allies, will deliver to the US alliance with Australia.

This is partly because of the newly joined-up quality of research and development among US allies, especially Australia, in critical technologies: "We have seen unprecedented investment in new technologies - artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, 6G - these are the technologies which are going to be the components of any effort to maintain the high ground in global competition.

"Over the last three or four years, both US domestic investment and that of other (friendly) nations must be in the order of $US300bn or $US400bn."

His comments came as the NATO summit was shaping up to be a key test for President Joe Biden and his political future.

Mr Biden was set to continue meeting world leaders through Thursday (Friday AEST) and give a make-or-break press conference to quell a growing rebellion in his own party.

Mr Biden's campaign was rocked on Wednesday after Nancy Pelosi - the former Democratic speaker of the house - questioned whether he had truly finalised his decision to run for a second term and Oscar-winning actor and top party donor George Clooney called for the President to drop out of the race completely.

Dr Campbell, a life-long Democrat, is also a foreign policy professional and he would not be drawn on the challenge to Mr Biden arising from his disastrous performance in the TV debate against Donald Trump.

He did defend Mr Biden's foreign policy record: "The most important contribution of President Biden, and here I would distinguish him from more Trumpist variants of foreign policy, is he believes the US is much more effective with allies and partners.

"You've seen that with the latticework approach with Australia, Japan and South Korea, also in linking the Indo-Pacific with Europe. The work has been done, and Australia has been central to this.

"There will be a debate in the US about the nature of America's role. Some will argue that America would do better with fewer encumbering international associations, and it should go it alone.

"I think that's wrong."

(continued)

#21178010 at 2024-07-11 11:26:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21125875
>>21172294
Democrats 'evenly divided' on Biden as US announces new diplomatic initiative with Australia

Peter Hartcher - JULY 11, 2024

Washington: A key Democratic congress member says that the party is split on whether to replace President Joe Biden and has no practical way to do it, even as the US announces a new diplomatic initiative including Australia.

The most important Congressional advocate for the AUKUS partnership, Joe Courtney, said that US democracy and national security would be at risk if Donald Trump were to win the presidential election.

"Right now they are both risk factors because of the poor debate [performance by Biden]," he said.

"On the other hand, you know, the logistics and mechanics of switching a candidate really just weeks away from the nomination process just has some real pragmatic issues that have to be sort of thought through."

Two weeks after the debate between Biden and Trump, the Democratic leadership dilemma continues to dominate US political debate.

With Biden refusing to quit and the party continuing to agonise publicly over his mental function, the Democrats were left searching for an "executable, pragmatic pathway" to win the November 5 election, Courtney said in an interview.

"That's something that was talked about a lot yesterday when we had our caucus," he said about the meeting of the House Democrats, a closed-door deliberation for the party's legislators.

Asked about the balance of opinion within the caucus on Biden's viability, Courtney said no vote was taken in the meeting and the 20 to 25 people "seemed pretty evenly divided".

The paralysis in the party was no hindrance to the Biden administration's diplomacy, said US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.

Campbell said that despite the Democrat leadership dilemma, a four-nation grouping of Indo-Pacific democracies - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea - would now be launched as a new, standalone diplomatic entity and partner for the US.

The leaders of this group, the so-called Indo-Pacific Four or IP4, have been invited to join NATO summits in recent years, acknowledging that they share some of the same concerns as the NATO allies.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles plus the leaders of the other three IP4 countries are in Washington this week for NATO's 75th anniversary summit.

Campbell said that the group of four had developed into a new entity.

"What you'll see is a clear set of guidelines and initiatives designed to embed the IP4 into this nascent architecture that is emerging in the Indo-Pacific," Campbell said.

"We fully expect the IP4 to join AUKUS and the Quad as fundamental features of the diplomatic and military architecture and dialogue of the Pacific."

He listed other new, small groupings - so-called "mini-laterals" - that have emerged in the region in the last few years under Washington's encouragement. One is the US-Japan-South Korea group, a breakthrough in overcoming bitter historical animosity between Tokyo and Seoul. Another is US-Japan-Philippines.

These groupings have been described as forming a "latticework" of relations to bind regional democracies and balance against the increasing intrusiveness of Beijing.

The IP4 was developed in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine, said Campbell.

"What we've seen over the course of the last couple of years is some of the major countries that have stepped up to support Ukraine for the first time include not just European states, but Indo-Pacific nations, Japan, South Korea, Australia."

Courtney, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, expressed frustration at Biden and his office.

"I do think he's got some work to do in terms of shoring up the confidence factor in our caucus," he said.

He added that a clear conclusion of the House Democrat caucus meeting this week was that the White House had to do better communicating with the congressional Democrats.

"The letter they sent to the caucus was eight or nine days after the debate. The White House really needs to raise its game in terms of communication."

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/democrats-evenly-divided-on-biden-as-us-announces-new-diplomatic-initiative-with-australia-20240711-p5jsur.html

#21125882 at 2024-07-02 10:09:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21125875

2/2

It is not the first time an Australian prime minister has sent another cabinet member to a NATO summit. Malcolm Turnbull, for example, sent then-defence minister Marise Payne to a NATO summit in Belgium in 2018.

Three Labor MPs said there was broad consensus in the party that selling the government's domestic agenda should be the priority.

"That's what [the prime minister's] been told in no uncertain terms. Our electorates are feeling it," one MP said.

At a later press conference on Tuesday, Dutton said it was time for Australia to send a message that it was part of a united global front against international aggressors.

"Australians are very unsettled at the moment … and they've got a prime minister who wants to put local politicking ahead of his obligation to stand up for our country," he said.

In November Dutton urged Albanese against flying to the US and to instead focus on domestic issues.

Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham condemned the prime minister's decision not to go, saying "national security is the top responsibility of the government, and the idea that Anthony Albanese would rather be campaigning to shore up Labor marginal seats than sitting down with the NATO leaders to ensure global security and our national security interests are heard, is an appalling representation of his priorities".

With the US election in November, the NATO gathering would probably have been the last meeting between Albanese and Biden as counterparts. His attendance could have provided an opportunity for the first bilateral leaders' meeting with Keir Starmer, who is widely expected to become the UK's prime minister on Friday.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said last month the White House was expecting Albanese to attend as well as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeo and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Albanese was forced to fend off criticism from the Coalition and several media commentators last year as he took four overseas trips in the month after the Voice referendum defeat, taking his tally to 18 since he came to office. He has made just one overseas trip this year, to Papua New Guinea, for Anzac Day.

The prime minister's office was contacted for comment.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-scraps-washington-visit-amid-cost-of-living-pressures-20240702-p5jqbc.html

#21077008 at 2024-06-24 11:01:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>21077001

2/2

While that sum would have been tough for some producers, many journalists reacted as if Australia was on its knees. And while it's better in diplomacy to shout as little as possible and have disagreements behind closed doors, the evidence is China was determined to subjugate Australia, at least economically, and had been doing so for decades before the export bans.

A report by Peter Hartcher in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 7 last year argued "we received public notice of Beijing's intentions to dominate Australia in a revelation in 2005".

A Chinese diplomat working at the Sydney consulate defected. The diplomat, Chen Yonglin, said the Communist Party of China "had begun a structured effort to infiltrate Australia'' because it saw us as a "weak link in the Western camp". This was much more than just spying.

"The party ran an influence campaign, partly through its United Front organisations operating in Australia. Rich business people were dispatched to live in Australia to set up empires of influence. Their methods included political donations, sponsored trips to China, major investments and board appointments," Hartcher wrote.

Between 2005 and the start of the pandemic, China's share of our exports rose from 12 per cent to 38 per cent.

Even the US thought Australia could flip. Hartcher quotes White House Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell confirming that Washington thought this possible.

But by early 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the SMH: "I think China has lost more than Australia has in its efforts to squeeze Australia economically."

This newspaper's foreign editor, Greg Sheridan, last Tuesday nailed the real import of the Cheng Lei incident: it revealed Albanese's weakness. The PM had already appeared weak when he seemed not to have raised with China's President, Xi Jinping, at an APEC meeting in San Francisco last November the Chinese navy's firing of sonar at Australian naval divers only days before.

While many journalists tiptoe around such issues, the public pounced last week. Why was an Australian journalist being bullied by Chinese officials inside Australia's parliament?

Discussing our China trade relationship, reporters should have been led by the facts rather than by Labor's spin. The Coalition did a lot wrong during the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison years, but it mostly got China right and it certainly got the AUKUS submarine partnership with the US and UK right.

Journalists need to take care not to appear to be pushing the false narratives of their preferred side of politics.

ABC 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson on Wednesday interviewed Liberal energy spokesman Ted O'Brien about the Coalition's new nuclear power policy. Why could Ferguson not concede O'Brien's point about the many unknown costs in Labor's renewables rollout across large tracts of the continent?

She sounded like an ALP staffer. Many countries rely on nuclear power but none rely exclusively on wind and solar. Countries relying on renewables largely tap hydro-electric power.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/journos-fall-for-spin-as-they-tiptoe-around-china/news-story/e69d31c913b8befa059bd28df9dbcbc4

#20903732 at 2024-05-23 11:24:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20890891
>>20903719
'No obligation' to go to war under AUKUS, US general says

BEN PACKHAM - MAY 23, 2024

One of the US military's top Indo-Pacific commanders says America will not "kidnap" Australian sailors serving on its nuclear submarines if it finds itself in a war with China, declaring there was "no expectation" that Australia would follow the US into such a conflict.

As Beijing launched "punishment" exercises in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration of the territory's new president, Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka said the US was on the alert for a Chinese invasion of the self-governing island within the next three years.

General Sklenka, the deputy commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, said the Chinese were "bullies" harassing other nations' ships and aircraft with "dangerous behaviour" that could escalate into conflict.

The heightened security environment comes as the US pushes to get 440 Australian sailors serving on its nuclear-powered subs to prepare them to operate Australia's promised Virginia-class and AUKUS boats.

Joe Biden's No. 2 diplomat Kurt Campbell in April suggested that Australia's future nuclear-?powered submarines could one day be deployed against China in a conflict over Taiwan but General Sklenka told the National Press Club that the AUKUS pact did not obligate Australia to fight alongside the US in any future conflict.

"When they're on our submarines, we don't kidnap them," he said. "There's no expectation of anybody participating in any conflict with us because those decisions are national sovereign decisions. The US can't, and we don't, dictate that."

China launched two days of military drills near Taiwan on Thursday, describing the move as "strong punishment" for the swearing-in of the territory's new President, Lai Ching-te.

The PLA's Eastern Theatre Command said the drills, involving army, navy, air force and rocket force troops, were being conducted in the Taiwan Strait and around the Taiwan-?controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin.

General Sklenka said the drills were expected but "just because we expect that behaviour does not mean we should not condemn it, and we need to condemn it publicly".

He said the US took seriously Xi Jinping's direction to his forces to be prepared for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

General Sklenka said China's sustained pressure campaign against Taiwan was evidence of its intent, but the US did not see conflict as inevitable.

Australia has been subject to repeated unsafe intercepts by Chinese forces in recent times.

In an incident earlier this month, a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares in front of an Australian Seahawk helicopter in the Yellow Sea, forcing the aircraft to take evasive action.

The Australian government opted against releasing video of the recent helicopter incident but the US commander said such footage was important to "show the rest of the world what they're up to".

General Sklenka said the incident was part of "a pattern of revisionism" by China to claim territory that wasn't theirs, believing it would create a new status quo.

He said the US had tracked 300 such "risky and coercive" intercepts by Chinese forces in the region since 2021.

"They not only contravene rules and norms governing behaviour by militaries, but they also frankly endanger lives and create conditions for escalation," he said.

These incidents included China's hostile use of water cannons against Filipino sailors, injuring six sailors in one recent encounter.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/no-obligation-to-go-to-war-under-aukus-us-general-says/news-story/b0818e2cdd11e97146a87bae87ed1315

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N57uCsJdMjA

#20886337 at 2024-05-19 08:35:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 62
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 4
>>20686736 Campbell bares AUKUS' destabilizing nature - "Since its formation, AUKUS has been a wedge the US drives in regional peace and stability by luring allies into this process under the banner of military-technological cooperation. But let's talk about the elephant in the room: it's afraid that AUKUS won't even achieve its Pillar 1, which is to support Australia to acquire its nuclear-powered submarines, on time. Media reports on Friday show that US shipyards are running up to three years late in building new Virginia-class submarines for Canberra, raising even greater concerns about the future of AUKUS. Against this backdrop, it is hard not to suspect that by emphasizing AUKUS's role in the Taiwan Straits as a hook to the "already expected benefits," Campbell's words on Wednesday also aimed to give a shot in the arm into AUKUS in an attempt to prove the significance of AUKUS' existence and boost allies' confidence in the pact." - Xia Wenxin - globaltimes.cn
>>20691491 Aukus weighs expanding security pact to deter China in Indo-Pacific - The US, UK and Australia are to begin talks on bringing new members into Aukus as Washington pushes for Japan to be involved in the security pact aimed as a deterrent against China. The Aukus defence ministers will announce on Monday that they will launch talks related to Pillar II of the alliance, which involves collaboration on technologies such as undersea capabilities and hypersonic weapons, according to people familiar with the situation. They are not considering expanding Pillar I, which focuses on Australia's procurement of nuclear-powered submarines.

>>20691508 Video: Senior US diplomat lets the AUKUS cat out of the bag - US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has once more torn away the veil of what the AUKUS submarines are actually intended for: a potential war with China over Taiwan. But he has gone much further. Campbell has criticised the Albanese government's public emphasis -- and indeed that of his own President - on AUKUS' capacity for domestic job creation, and says "more money" will be required to realise the audacious plan. Speaking in Washington last week, Campbell referred to the "practical circumstances in which AUKUS has the potential to have submarines from a number of countries operating in close co-ordination that could deliver conventional ordnance from long distances". "Those have enormous implications in a variety of scenarios, including in cross-strait circumstances," he said.
>>20691520 Japan set to join AUKUS tech pact - Australia, the US and Britain are poised to admit Japan to the AUKUS pact's advanced technology partnership, in a move set to turbocharge the alliance's development of hi-tech weapons aimed at deterring China. Defence Minister Richard Marles will within days have talks with his US and British counterparts on expanding the membership of AUKUS's 'Pillar II', which is focused on hypersonics, AI and autonomous systems, quantum computing, advanced cyber capabilities and electronic warfare. The move, reported initially by Britain's Financial Times, comes despite concerns among AUKUS members that Tokyo does not yet have sufficient security arrangements in place to prevent the theft of sensitive technology.
>>20700772 Vice Admiral David Johnston named new chief of the defence force - Vice Admiral David Johnston will lead Australia's armed forces as chief of the defence force, pending the approval of the governor-general. Vice Admiral Johnston will replace General Angus Campbell, who has served as defence chief since 2018. The appointment comes as Australia considers expanding its key partnership with the United States and United Kingdom, AUKUS, to include Japan in some of the alliance's military projects. The AUKUS agreement for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines will be one of the most significant projects Vice Admiral Johnston takes on, with the first stages of construction due to begin late this decade.

#20886336 at 2024-05-19 08:35:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 61
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 3
>>20612813 AUKUS: Taxpayers fund Rolls Royce subs plan in $4.6bn bailout for British plant - Australian taxpayers will hand $4.64bn to Britain's Rolls-Royce over the next decade so it can build nuclear reactors for the navy's future AUKUS submarines, matching funds provided to the US to expand its submarine industry under the trilateral pact. The funding injection for the under-pressure British submarine sector will be announced on Friday, as Australian government submarine builder ASC is named as a joint venture partner to build the AUKUS boats with the UK's BAE Systems.
>>20612852 Video: David Cameron says Aukus and Nato must be in 'best possible shape' ahead of potential Trump win - The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, has suggested the Aukus pact and Nato alliance must get into "the best possible shape" to increase their chances of surviving Donald Trump's potential return to the White House. Speaking after high-level talks in Australia, Cameron was careful to avoid criticising the former US president and presumptive Republican nominee for 2024, saying it was "up to America who they choose as their president". "What we will do, as I am sure an Australian government would do, is work with whoever becomes the president," Cameron told reporters in Adelaide, South Australia.

>>20617415 Video: Defence Minister Richard Marles confident Kevin Rudd can deliver AUKUS under Trump presidency, despite 'nasty' remarks - Defence Minister Richard Marles says he is still confident United States ambassador Kevin Rudd can deliver Australia's AUKUS nuclear submarine program, despite recent comments by former president Donald Trump throwing his future into question. Speaking on ABC's Insiders, the defence minister said he had no reason to believe AUKUS would be threatened by a Trump presidency. "We have seen Kevin working at a pace, lobbying in respect of legislation in Congress across the political spectrum with Democrats and Republicans alike, and he's doing a great job," Mr Marles said. "Obviously the relationship has experienced a Trump presidency before and the relationship went through that period of time well, so we do have a sense of confidence of being able to work across the political spectrum and we had a sense of confidence that Kevin would be able to do that, and he has."
>>20676443 AUKUS subs 'could be deployed against China', Kurt Campbell says - Joe Biden's No. 2 diplomat says Australia's future nuclear-?powered submarines could one day be deployed against China in a conflict over Taiwan. While the Albanese government has insisted the AUKUS pact won't require Australia to join a US war against China, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Australia's and Britain's submarines could play a decisive role in a conflict across the Taiwan Strait. Dr Campbell told Washington's Centre for a New American Security that the AUKUS pact boats, with their long-range missiles, had "enormous implications in a variety of scenarios, including in cross-strait circumstances".
>>20686729 Japan to take part in AUKUS 'Pillar 2', America's ambassador to Japan tells Wall Street Journal - Japan is set to participate in the second pillar of the AUKUS pact with Australia, the United Kingdom and United States in the first expansion to date of the defence technology-sharing arrangement. Australia is working to develop nuclear-powered submarines under "Pillar 1" of AUKUS, utilising US and UK technology. But there has been persistent speculation that Japan will at some point join "Pillar 2" of AUKUS, which is being used as a mechanism for all three countries to share advanced defence technologies across a range of fields including quantum technology, hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence. On Friday, America's ambassador in Tokyo, Rahm Emanuel, wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Japan was "about to become the first additional Pillar II partner" in AUKUS.

#20886334 at 2024-05-19 08:34:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 60
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 2
>>20570434 Video: US congressman Joe Courtney hits back at Malcolm Turnbull's claim Australia was 'mugged by reality' on AUKUS deal: 'Never stepped foot in that shipyard' - US Democratic Congressman Joe Courtney has hit back at former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's claim Australia was "mugged by reality" over the production of submarine deliverables from the United States as part of the tripartite AUKUS deal with the UK and the US. Mr Turnbull claimed on Wednesday that Australia was now at the mercy of its ally after the US announced it will halve the number of submarines it will build in 2025. The Pentagon's budget draft request calls for just one Virginia-class submarine to be built next year, potentially jeopardising plans for the US to provide three of the models to Australia by the early 2030s. "This is really a case of us being mugged by reality. I mean, there's a lot of AUKUS cheerleaders, and anyone that has any criticism of AUKUS is almost described as being unpatriotic. We've got to be realistic here," Mr Turnbull said. Speaking to Sky News host Peter Stefanovic on Friday morning, Mr Courtney shot down Mr Turnbull's concerns, claiming the deal was in a "healthy" position. "He has never stepped foot in that shipyard, he's never gone to the job creating programs where we are building up capacity every single day, so I think that the reality is not one that's mugging anyone. I think the reality is positive," Mr Courtney said.
>>20575568 'It's a deal between countries, not a deal between individuals': PM Anthony Albanese says AUKUS agreement has support required to survive another Trump presidency - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the AUKUS agreement has the support required to survive a second Trump presidency, declaring "it's a deal between countries, not a deal between individuals". Mr Albanese, Premier Peter Malinauskas and a host of industry leaders discussed their ideas for building a bigger, better South Australia at The Advertiser's Future SA forum at SkyCity Adelaide on Friday. Asked by moderator David Penberthy whether the AUKUS deal would be threatened by a second Trump presidency, Mr Albanese said support had already been shored up. "I think that it's beyond question now," he said. "It did take effort, it was essentially an idea without a plan. "That plan is now in place. It enjoys bipartisan support here and it enjoys bipartisan support in the US."

>>20589317 Australia should be talking to Trump about AUKUS: ex-security chief Michael Rogers - "Australia needs to sell the benefits of the AUKUS pact for the US to Donald Trump to prevent the planned sale of nuclear-powered submarines being knocked off course, a former US security chief who served in the Trump presidency says. Former US National Security Agency head Michael Rogers said in an interview with The Australian Financial Review that Australian officials should reach out to Mr Trump and his campaign ahead of November's presidential election to shore up the trilateral deal between Australia, the US and UK. Mr Rogers said the Turnbull and Morrison governments' successful management of relations with Mr Trump during his first term in office offered pointers for how the Albanese government should handle him. "I would argue that during President Trump's term of office, he ultimately had a stronger relationship in many ways with Australia for example than he did with the United Kingdom which we traditionally talk about as the 'special relationship'," he said. "My recommendation to my Australian teammates would be is there is a lot to learn from the past. I would step back and ask 'How did you manage to put the US-Australian relationship in such a strong position during President Trump's term'?"" - Andrew Tillett - afr.com
>>20589317 Q Post #585 - TRUST Adm R. He played the game to remain in control. Q - https://qanon.pub/#585
>>20612791 US needs to step up assurances on AUKUS, admits Kurt Campbell - The US could do more to reassure partners Australia and the UK on the progress of AUKUS, says the country's new deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. He admitted more effort was needed to counter China's "propaganda" on the nuclear-powered submarine deal. "We could tell the story better," Dr Campbell, who has also been the Biden administration's top Indo-Pacific envoy, told The Australian Financial Review. "There's a huge number of things that have happened, but I don't think we've done enough to tell that story to the Australian people," he said, "The truth is the steps that have been taken towards AUKUS in all three countries are very substantial."

#19798336 at 2023-10-25 08:36:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19798334

2/3

Ahead of welcoming Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon to the White House on Wednesday (AEDT) for the official guest book signing and gift exchange with the President and First Lady, Dr Biden and White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo will brief the media on logistics for the state dinner. Guest chef Katie Button, White House executive chef Chris Comerford and White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison will provide samples of place settings that will be served to guests on Thursday (AEDT).

Mr Biden, who along with his wife, Jill, will host a private dinner for Mr Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon on Wednesday (AEDT), has held only four state dinners. The previous guests - Emmanuel Macron, Narendra Modi and Yoon Suk-yeol - are prominent figures in the Indo-?Pacific region.

While the state dinner invitation list has been held tight, senior US officials are expected to brief out details of the dinner and the guest list, which will include prominent business and community leaders, politicians, defence officials and celebrities.

Australian Rugby League Commission chair and Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys, Indigenous leader and voice supporter Tom Calma and CSIRO board member Alex Brown are expected to attend as guests of Mr Albanese.

Australian celebrities Margot Robbie, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are also rumoured to be on the list, which was finalised by the White House.

Business, banking and mining bosses have also arrived in Washington, including Macquarie Group chief executive Shemara Wikramanayake, BlueScope chief executive Mark Vassella, Westpac chief risk officer Ryan Zanin, Microsoft Australia-New Zealand managing director Steve Worrall, Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar.

As industry leaders push for Australia to tap into Mr Biden's multibillion-dollar clean energy investment, Mr Albanese on Wednesday will boost bilateral co-operation with the US to drive new investment and employment across Australia and US clean energy, manufacturing and defence supply chains. There is also increased focus on providing "responsibly produced and pro?cessed critical minerals" to meet global demand.

Ms King, who recently released a seven-year Critical Minerals Strategy, said the Australia-US taskforce on critical minerals had agreed on "priority areas of work and immediate actions such as joint supply chain mapping and deeper co-operation ... on critical minerals".

"The road to net zero runs through Australia's resources sector," she said. "The Australian government is providing significant support to de-risk investment in Australia's critical minerals sector."

Australian critical minerals and business executives attending the roundtable on Wednesday (AEDT) include Lynas managing director Amanda Lacaze, Australian Strategic Materials chief executive Rowena Smith, Alpha HPA managing director Rimas Kairaitis, Alliance Nickel chief Paul Kopetjka and Nyrstar boss Dale Webb. On the US side, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator and senior Biden adviser Kurt Campbell will attend alongside Tesla Motors chair Robyn Denholm, Lockheed Martin chief executive James Taiclet and LG Energy's Heejae Kim.

Mr Albanese will also on Wednesday (AEDT) meet with up to 120 local and travelling business leaders at an Australian Innovation Showcase event.

US-Australian companies including Boeing, Ferra, Energy Impact Partners, Infravision, Australis Scientific, Rohto Pharmaceuticals, Redflow, Faraday Microgrids, Droneshield and Minelab will have chief executives and senior representatives attending.

The event was designed to bring together business leaders across advanced industries with a focus on "net zero transformation, science and technology and defence".

(continued)

#19487521 at 2023-09-04 10:03:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 26
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 3
>>19340296 AUKUS alarm after nuclear dump in South Australia is axed - The government has abandoned a decade-long process to establish a low-level radioactive waste dump near Kimba in South Australia, declaring it will not challenge a court ruling in favour of Indigenous people who argued that their voice was ignored in the site's selection. The Coalition suggested Australians should prepare for a surge of such outcomes under the proposed voice to parliament, and of ramifications for the AUKUS ?nuclear-powered submarine deal that requires Australia to establish a high-level nuclear waste dump.
>>19340337 AUKUS partnership the 'beating heart of free world' - A leading United States congressman has described the AUKUS security pact as the "beating heart of the free world". Chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Republican Mike Gallagher, called for greater cooperation under the AUKUS agreement as a deterrent. "My view is that the US-Australia alliance, and perhaps AUKUS more broadly, is the beating heart of the free world," he told ABC Radio. >"We have to make AUKUS a success, this is a no-fail endeavour. It will have a dramatic impact on our ability to deter a future war."
>>19346018 Caroline Kennedy says alliance won't sink if Trump elected - US ambassador Caroline Kennedy says Australia will be able to count on America as a reliable ally in a crisis even if Donald Trump returns to the White House, adding she is hopeful Congress will this year pass laws to allow the transfer of America's most sensitive military technology to Australia. Congress is currently debating legislation to allow the sale of up to three nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, as proposed by the AUKUS agreement, and to grant its ally a broad exemption to tough defence export controls.
>>19355518 Labor members eager for showdown on AUKUS at the party's national conference - Richard Marles will attempt to allay simmering concerns over AUKUS among Labor Party members and trade unions with a special briefing, as a showdown over the nuclear defence pact at national conference is certain. The briefing by the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister is open to all party members and affiliated trade unions to be conducted via Zoom as local Labor branches and federal electorate councils continue to express opposition to the trilateral nuclear submarine pact.
>>19355541 Two Americans Australia can count on - "The single purpose of the nuclear submarine AUKUS agreement between the US, UK and Australia, and its military technology sharing, is, by building deterrence, to prevent war with China. As with the Second World War, our security rests on US leadership. Through the Australian American Leadership Dialogue just held in Canberra, I've just interviewed two of the most important Americans in Asian security. Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific Coordinator in Joe Biden's National Security Council, is Biden's Asia tsar, having been assistant secretary for East Asia in Barack Obama's first administration. Australia's best friend in Washington, he's a big personality, creative, sober, effective at the heart of power now for decades. Hawaii-based Marine Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka, an intellectual and a soldier, is the deputy commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific. So, given the threat environment, do the US and its allies have effective deterrence today?" - Greg Sheridan - theaustralian.com.au
>>19361940 Albanese doubles down on AUKUS as union boss criticises 'silence' on internal debate - Anthony Albanese will crash through internal Labor opposition to the AUKUS agreement and declare the nuclear pact a central part of his government's agenda, as an influential union chief criticised the party's reluctance to debate the submarine deal. United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall, who is running for a spot on Labor's powerful national executive, said the party's factional system had stifled debate on totemic issues, arguing a political culture that discouraged debate was counterproductive. "Whether you are for or against [AUKUS], previously there would have been significant debate about the rights and wrongs, whereas there has been complete silence," he said. "People are frightened... Debate makes good policy."

#19487380 at 2023-09-04 09:08:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 26
AUKUS Security Pact and Nuclear Submarine Program - Part 3
>>19340296 AUKUS alarm after nuclear dump in South Australia is axed - The government has abandoned a decade-long process to establish a low-level radioactive waste dump near Kimba in South Australia, declaring it will not challenge a court ruling in favour of Indigenous people who argued that their voice was ignored in the site's selection. The Coalition suggested Australians should prepare for a surge of such outcomes under the proposed voice to parliament, and of ramifications for the AUKUS ?nuclear-powered submarine deal that requires Australia to establish a high-level nuclear waste dump.
>>19340337 AUKUS partnership the 'beating heart of free world' - A leading United States congressman has described the AUKUS security pact as the "beating heart of the free world". Chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Republican Mike Gallagher, called for greater cooperation under the AUKUS agreement as a deterrent. "My view is that the US-Australia alliance, and perhaps AUKUS more broadly, is the beating heart of the free world," he told ABC Radio. >"We have to make AUKUS a success, this is a no-fail endeavour. It will have a dramatic impact on our ability to deter a future war."
>>19346018 Caroline Kennedy says alliance won't sink if Trump elected - US ambassador Caroline Kennedy says Australia will be able to count on America as a reliable ally in a crisis even if Donald Trump returns to the White House, adding she is hopeful Congress will this year pass laws to allow the transfer of America's most sensitive military technology to Australia. Congress is currently debating legislation to allow the sale of up to three nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, as proposed by the AUKUS agreement, and to grant its ally a broad exemption to tough defence export controls.
>>19355518 Labor members eager for showdown on AUKUS at the party's national conference - Richard Marles will attempt to allay simmering concerns over AUKUS among Labor Party members and trade unions with a special briefing, as a showdown over the nuclear defence pact at national conference is certain. The briefing by the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister is open to all party members and affiliated trade unions to be conducted via Zoom as local Labor branches and federal electorate councils continue to express opposition to the trilateral nuclear submarine pact.
>>19355541 Two Americans Australia can count on - "The single purpose of the nuclear submarine AUKUS agreement between the US, UK and Australia, and its military technology sharing, is, by building deterrence, to prevent war with China. As with the Second World War, our security rests on US leadership. Through the Australian American Leadership Dialogue just held in Canberra, I've just interviewed two of the most important Americans in Asian security. Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific Coordinator in Joe Biden's National Security Council, is Biden's Asia tsar, having been assistant secretary for East Asia in Barack Obama's first administration. Australia's best friend in Washington, he's a big personality, creative, sober, effective at the heart of power now for decades. Hawaii-based Marine Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka, an intellectual and a soldier, is the deputy commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific. So, given the threat environment, do the US and its allies have effective deterrence today?" - Greg Sheridan - theaustralian.com.au
>>19361940 Albanese doubles down on AUKUS as union boss criticises 'silence' on internal debate - Anthony Albanese will crash through internal Labor opposition to the AUKUS agreement and declare the nuclear pact a central part of his government's agenda, as an influential union chief criticised the party's reluctance to debate the submarine deal. United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall, who is running for a spot on Labor's powerful national executive, said the party's factional system had stifled debate on totemic issues, arguing a political culture that discouraged debate was counterproductive. "Whether you are for or against [AUKUS], previously there would have been significant debate about the rights and wrongs, whereas there has been complete silence," he said. "People are frightened... Debate makes good policy."

#19355541 at 2023-08-14 10:14:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19188991
>>19349795
Two Americans Australia can count on

GREG SHERIDAN - AUGUST 14, 2023

1/2

The single purpose of the nuclear submarine AUKUS agreement between the US, UK and Australia, and its military technology sharing, is, by building deterrence, to prevent war with China. As with the Second World War, our security rests on US leadership. Through the Australian American Leadership Dialogue just held in Canberra (a brilliant event, completely upstaged on its last night by Sam Kerr and her heroic Matildas) I've just interviewed two of the most important Americans in Asian security.

Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific Coordinator in Joe Biden's National Security Council, is Biden's Asia tsar, having been assistant secretary for East Asia in Barack Obama's first administration. Australia's best friend in Washington, he's a big personality, creative, sober, effective at the heart of power now for decades.

I asked him whether Beijing, having retired wolf warrior diplomacy, has modified its strategic ambitions.

Here is his response: "I think it's probably premature to say wolf warrior diplomacy has been retired. The last year for Beijing was one of transition among its most senior ranks, which led to some stasis and caution, plus the circumstances surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine have been deeply unnerving. There is likely a new period ahead where China must rethink its confident predictions around a supposed hurtling American decline.

"Instead they are finding their efforts contested by America and its partners at every turn. China needs economic engagement with the US at this stage and they are deeply worried about further alienating the nations of Europe.

"These factors together perhaps moderate many Chinese undertakings at least for now, but most seasoned observers believe that President Xi and his leadership cohort remain unfalteringly determined to advance a dominant China that cannot be constrained or restrained. The US remains fundamentally committed to preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and our efforts in diplomacy and defence are around strengthening and stabilising the status quo.

"The US and its aligned partners must consistently focus on deterrence and seek to find pathways where cooler heads will prevail."

That's a sober and convincing assessment of Beijing's strategic intent, so why aren't US, and Australian, military budgets rising?

Campbell: "Military budgets are a critical measure of national effort and determination but it's an incomplete metric. As important as the size of the defence budget is, the actual contents matter more. Where are the new investments that reflect the future? The US is in the process of a long-term reorientation of its military investments more towards long-range capabilities relevant to the vast Indo-Pacific than capabilities more geared to the military challenges of the Middle East and South Asia. This is a massive endeavour that will place substantial demands on the navy and air power. But the strategic competition will not be settled by military power alone. The key measurements will include the health and vitality of a nation's alliance system, the bipartisan commitment to national priorities, its investments in critical industries and technologies, and a larger determination to persevere through challenges and inevitable setbacks. I think across each of these critical metrics both Australia and the US are constantly hitting its marks.

"Consider major American initiatives of the last few years - lifting the Quad to the leaders level, AUKUS, the enhanced defence spending and 'strike' agreements for Tomahawk (missiles) with Japan, enhanced cyber partnerships around the region, renewed security partnerships with The Philippines, strong and unprecedented Indo-Pacific support for Ukraine and, perhaps most importantly, the unambiguous step-up in technology and defence partnership with India. The alignments and realignments in the region favour freedom."

In this pretty threatening context, how important, really, is AUKUS?

Campbell: "AUKUS is a fundamental statement about the future, about confidence to remain strategically aligned and intertwined for decades. It elevates Australia into the most rarefied air of America's closest partners. It's not an exaggeration to say that AUKUS has fundamentally shifted and accelerated the very course of the US-Australian alliance."

(continued)

#19211239 at 2023-07-20 11:17:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19211235

2/2

Under Menendez's proposal, the US administration would have to submit a report to congressional committees every two years setting out progress on AUKUS.

It says the report should identify "the defensive military capability gaps and capacity shortfalls that the AUKUS partnership seeks to offset" and the total costs to the US of the submarine project.

Congressional committees would also be seeking "a detailed explanation of how enhanced access to the industrial base of Australia is contributing to strengthening the United States strategic position in Asia".

The report would provide a "detailed explanation of the military and strategic benefit provided by the improved access provided by naval bases of Australia".

It would include "a detailed assessment of how Australia's sovereign conventionally armed nuclear attack submarines contribute to United States defense and deterrence objectives in the Indo-Pacific region".

Kurt Campbell, the White House Indo-Pacific coordinator, told a thinktank last month: "When submarines are provided from the United States to Australia, it's not like they're lost. They will just be deployed by the closest possible allied force."

However, the Australian government has repeatedly said it will maintain sovereign control of the submarines, including at least three Virginia-class submarines that it will buy from the US in the 2030s.

While AUKUS has bipartisan support in the US, it remains unclear what version of the legislation will make it to the president's desk for signing.

Menendez said his amendment "streamlines the export of US military technology, while ensuring that technology is safeguarded from adversarial espionage".

"I look forward to working with my colleagues in both the Senate and House to pass this bill which will cement the AUKUS partnership for decades to come," he said in a statement last week.

AUKUS will be on the agenda when Blinken and the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, travel to Australia for annual talks with foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and defence minister, Richard Marles.

The meeting will be held in Brisbane late next week. Marles and Austin are due to travel to north Queensland afterwards to watch troops participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise.

Marles told ABC TV on Wednesday there had been "a significant move forward in terms of force posture initiatives in Australia", including the planned rotation of US submarines in Western Australia from 2027.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/20/australia-us-aukus-military-defence-equipment-priority-access-export-control

#18401609 at 2023-02-24 06:05:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18401605

2/2

Concerns about a diminution of Australian sovereignty were heightened back in 2021 when Biden's top Indo-Pacific adviser, Kurt Campbell, observed that AUKUS would lead to "a deeper interconnection and almost a melding in many respects of our services and working together on common purpose that we couldn't have dreamed about five or 10 years ago".

Campbell later clarified his remarks. "I fully understand how important sovereignty and independence is for Australia. So I don't want to leave any sense that somehow that would be lost," he said during an Australian webinar ahead of the 2022 election.

The sustained controversy has prompted the defence minister, Richard Marles, to declare in a speech to parliament that acquiring nuclear-powered submarines would "dramatically enhance" Australia's sovereignty, rather than undermine it.

The head of Australia's nuclear-powered submarine taskforce says Australia will retain full operational control over the submarines, while potentially having US or British engineers on board to provide technical advice.

During Wednesday's speech at the National Press Club, Albanese hinted that Australia needed to expand its nuclear research as part of AUKUS, saying the arrangement would lead to "greater exchanges as well and greater knowledge buildup".

Albanese said that in order to "back up the assurance of sovereignty" Australia needed to build up its "human capability" - not just "capability in terms of things that are metal and shiny". "That's very much a part of our focus and our thinking," he added.

The prime minister also strongly backed the Asio chief, Mike Burgess, who has stepped up his warnings about espionage and foreign interference.

Burgess used his annual threat assessment speech the previous night to say he was "concerned that there are senior people in this country who appear to believe that espionage and foreign interference is no big deal".

Burgess said some unnamed "individuals in business, academia and the bureaucracy have told me Asio should ease up its operational responses to avoid upsetting foreign regimes". At no stage did Burgess suggest ministers were among those urging Asio to rein in its work.

But Albanese said on Wednesday he wanted to make clear "that Asio is doing the right thing and that they have the support of my government in all of their actions".

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/22/australia-will-control-nuclear-submarines-in-any-conflict-with-aukus-partners-albanese-says

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmSNQZRDrZE

#18275690 at 2023-02-03 11:55:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18275686

2/2

During a separate outing at the National Press Club in 2021, the former PM blasted both major Australian political parties for backing AUKUS, arguing the plan was all about hawkish national security advisers who "can't wait to get the staplers back on to the Americans".

Keating declined to respond on Thursday to Albanese's revelation during an interview with Guardian Australia's politics podcast.

AUKUS was championed by Morrison, who had claimed in the run-up to the 2022 election that "only this government would have initiated" it. Labor endorsed the arrangement in opposition despite concern from several neighbours in the region, including Indonesia and Malaysia, that it would help fuel a regional arms race.

Asked this week whether he would have initiated the pact had he been Australia's prime minister at the time, Albanese said the question was "hypothetical" but there was "nothing terribly surprising" about deepening cooperation given the historical ties.

The prime minister said AUKUS was about more than nuclear submarines. "It's about our defence arrangements, it is about interoperability," Albanese said. He said it was a pact between nations, not politicians.

Albanese intimated Labor would have landed in the same place as Morrison. "AUKUS is an arrangement between nations who are friends [and] whoever was in government would have had similar ... defence department, defence personnel and foreign affairs advice and that's why our relationship with both those nations has been pretty consistent over a considerable period of time, regardless of who has been in office at any particular time."

Concerns about a diminution of Australian sovereignty were heightened in 2021 when Biden's top Indo-Pacific adviser, Kurt Campbell, observed that AUKUS would lead to "a deeper interconnection and almost a melding in many respects of our services and working together on common purpose that we couldn't have dreamed about five or 10 years ago".

Campbell later clarified his remarks. "I fully understand how important sovereignty and independence is for Australia. So I don't want to leave any sense that somehow that would be lost," he said during an Australian webinar ahead of the 2022 election.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, told Guardian Australia last week the government had been "very mindful" of the issue of sovereignty throughout the AUKUS talks.

"The outcome of this process is one which, in my view, greatly enhances Australian sovereignty. And the fundamental reason for that is that the greater the capability Australia has to defend itself, the greater the sovereignty, and this is a very significant capability that we're looking at developing."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/02/malcolm-turnbull-says-labor-has-failed-to-answer-if-AUKUS-deal-compromises-australian-sovereignty

#18071608 at 2023-01-04 08:44:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18046171
Rudd tells US not to 'throw allies under a bus'

John Kehoe - Jan 4, 2023

Australia's soon-to-be ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, says America needs to stop throwing some foreign allies "under a bus" on trade and economics if it wants to build international support to push back against China.

Dr Rudd's frank public assessment about Australia's closest ally raised mixed reactions among foreign policy experts on Wednesday, amid contention about the Albanese government's announcement last month that the former prime minister would become Australia's next envoy in Washington.

Dr Rudd said in a television interview that the Biden administration's Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan "have done a good job in herding the cats, both in Asia and also, frankly, in Europe so far.

"However, for the future, what is the missing element in US grand strategy?" he asked on Bloomberg TV.

"It's called the economy, stupid," he said, echoing a political line used by former US president Bill Clinton's adviser to help win elections.

"And that is, you cannot continue to assume that there'll be collective solidarity on security questions.

"But on the economy, the United States is happy to throw some of its allies under a bus.

"And for those reasons the United States Congress needs to embrace instead a different strategy, which opens its markets more towards allies in Asia and in Europe, despite the overriding protectionist sentiment of the US Congress and political class."

Dr Rudd made clear he was speaking in his capacity as president of the New York-based Asia Society and that he would officially commence as ambassador in three months.

John Lee, a former adviser to former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop, said a credible US strategy required enhanced American market access and that Mr Rudd was likely to tell Americans this in "his typical forthright manner".

"It is in the national and regional interest that he do so," Dr Lee said.

Another foreign policy scholar who has worked in Washington and Canberra said it was "just remarkable he is out there like this before becoming 'ambo'."

"He cannot shut up. The Yanks won't like being lectured in public."

In the joint interview with Mr Rudd, Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer said Dr Rudd was "completely right".

"We, the United States, do not have a trade policy. We don't have one.

"And so as Kevin said, unless Congress, the Democrats, the Republicans are prepared to actually speak coherently about a long-term US economic strategy, the national security policy by itself doesn't get you there."

Offset China's growing power
Dr Rudd said the US could not afford to have a strategy on China with "one arm tied behind its back".

His remarks about US trade protectionism follow former US president Donald Trump imposing tariffs and other trade restrictions on foreign allies in Asia and Europe.

Mr Trump also stopped the US from joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multilateral trade deal with Pacific Rim nations including Australia.

A strategic aim of the TPP was for the US to forge closer economic ties with Asian nations to offset China's growing economic power in the region.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and several other world leaders at the time lamented the US's retreat from trade liberalisation and towards protectionism, including Kurt Campbell, who is now US President Joe Biden's top Asia adviser.

Dr Rudd was Labor prime minister from 2007 to 2010, before being ousted by Julia Gillard. He briefly returned as leader in 2013 before Labor lost the election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last month the 65-year-old Dr Rudd had unmatched qualifications to represent Australia's interests with Joe Biden, and on Capitol Hill.

"Dr Rudd brings unmatched experience to the role," Mr Albanese said last month.

"He will conduct himself in a way that brings great credit to Australia."

Dr Rudd is due to replace outgoing ambassador Arthur Sinodinos in March.

Mr Biden is due to visit Australia for a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders in Australia in the first half of 2023.

Mr Albanese will also visit the US this year.

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/rudd-tells-us-not-to-throw-allies-under-a-bus-20230104-p5cach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4PowGIeJIg

(1:28:34)

#18046102 at 2022-12-31 08:51:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 21
Australia / China Tensions - Part 7
>>17800492 Anthony Albanese meets Xi Jinping at G20 summit in Bali, telling the Chinese President Australia wants to work with China in the interests of both countries and regional peace
>>17800511 Open up to Chinese trade, Xi tells Albanese - Beijing has said the "most difficult time for China-Australia relations has passed", but told Canberra to improve the relationship the Albanese government needs to reduce hurdles on Chinese businesses.
>>17800514 GT Voice: China-Australia summit may herald new turn in relations - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>17800515 Australian business leaders welcome talks between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and China's President Xi Jinping, but cautious about expecting any immediate outcomes
>>17800518 Xi-Albanese meeting at G20 injects thawing potential to frayed ties - Australia still needs to show 'sincerity, diplomatic autonomy free from US' - Deng Xiaoci - globaltimes.cn
>>17800527 Australia reaps reward for standing ground on China - China's intimidation campaign against Australia has failed, says White House Indo-Pacific Co-ordinator Kurt Campbell, who congratulated the Albanese government on its "strong, purposeful diplomacy"
>>17800537 Albanese says Australia is unlikely to support Taiwan's push to join Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
>>17800544 Anthony Albanese throws Taiwan's trade pact entry into a diplomatic spin - Australian diplomats scrambling to reassure key partners the nation remained open to Taiwan's entry into one of the world's biggest trading blocs
>>17800547 Taiwan seeks answers from Anthony Albanese over CPTPP comments at APEC - Taipei sought an urgent explanation from Anthony Albanese's office after the prime minister made comments which suggested Australia could reject Taiwan's bid to join the CPTPP because it was not a "recognised" nation state
>>17803999 China warns AUKUS deal an ongoing 'threat to peace' and bilateral relations - AUKUS partnership is "clearly a threat" to regional peace and security, and undermines any improvement to the two countries' bilateral relationship

>>17804004 Fraught AUKUS impedes momentum of better China-Australia ties - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>17804019 Coalition calls for sanctions on Chinese officials over Uyghur human rights abuses in Xinjiang, after foreign minister Penny Wong declined to meet prominent Uyghur advocates in Canberra
>>17804028 Torture survivors' plea for Australia not to abandon them after China reset - Omar Bekali, who spent seven months in 2017 in internment camps in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, fears that as Australia seeks a closer relationship with China after years of hostility, the plight of persecuted ethnic minorities will fall off the Albanese government's agenda
>>17827652 Video: Chinese cry for freedom in biggest anti-government protests since Tiananmen - Crowds have chanted "down with the Communist Party" and "Xi Jinping, step down" in an extraordinary wave of protests across China sparked by anger at draconian Covid restrictions
>>17832714 Video: Beijing boils as BBC journalist arrested amid national anti-government protests - BBC journalist Ed Lawrence arrested, beaten and kicked by Chinese police as China's biggest anti-government protests since Tiananmen in 1989 surged into Beijing
>>17832778 Daniel Duggan, Australian pilot with China links fights extradition to US, slams 'unprecedented' treatment
>>17850394 PDF: "The Enemy Is Inside the Gate - The CCP is involved in the QLD elections. Criminal elements within the Australian Government have enabled CCP access to all of Australia's institutions over decades and communist ideology is being forced on the Living Men-Women-Children of this land without their knowledge or consent."
>>17853206 Video: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson's awkward silence to pointed question as Beijing cracks down on COVID protests - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian left dumbfounded when asked about the anti-government protests which have engulfed the country, as the Chinese Communist Party begins a brutal crackdown on those involved
>>17869631 Government and opposition MPs to visit Taiwan as part of Australian parliamentary delegation - Six federal politicians from both Labor and the Coalition will travel to Taiwan next week, in the first visit from an Australian parliamentary delegation in years
>>17869647 MPs fly to Taiwan for secretive bipartisan talks - The first group of sitting Australian parliamentarians to visit Taiwan since 2019 will include former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, two Labor members of the Albanese government, Meryl Swanson and Libby Coker, Liberal National Party members Scott Buchholz and Terry Young, and Liberal Gavin Pearce

#17410262 at 2022-08-18 08:20:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

>>17381298
>>17381741
Right to vote being snatched from Solomon Islanders by PRC-backed PM

Sogavare has introduced a Bill to postpone elections. Reaction on the ground is seething. Likely Sogavare and his backers in Beijing don't mind violence so they can activate the China security deal.

Cleo Paskal - August 13, 2022

1/3

On 8 August, dignitaries, including US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, gathered for a dawn ceremony on Bloody Ridge in Solomon Islands to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of the brutal battle for Guadalcanal. Kennedy's father, future President John F. Kennedy, almost died during the campaign-his life saved by two Solomon Islanders.

Absent from the ceremony was Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. He was busy doing something that could, once again, turn Solomons into a dangerous ground zero in the Pacific.

Being an avid reader of this paper, of course you knew it was coming.

For those who haven't been following along at home, here's a quick recap.

Beijing has studied the importance of the vast Pacific Islands region-for instance, you need to be able to hold it, or deny it to others, to take Taiwan. It also knows the cost and difficulty of taking it by force, as those on Bloody Ridge remembered.

So, Beijing has worked on its consolidation of the region by using political warfare to "island hop" beyond the first island chain and set up political, economic and, increasingly, force-capable forward operating sites across the region.

Its goals for the region were made explicit in its proposed "China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision" and supported by the "China-Pacific Island Countries Five-Year Action Plan on Common Development (2022-2026)".

Federated States of Micronesia President David Panuelo called them, in a letter to other Pacific Island Country (PIC) leaders: "the single-most game-changing proposed agreement in the Pacific in any of our lifetimes."

The agreement wasn't signed, but it's unlikely China thought it would be. It was a way of flushing out opponents (for example President Panuelo), identifying compliance (for example the several PIC leaders who signed secret bilateral deals that reportedly contain elements of the larger "Vision"), and seeing if the "Free World" was going to do anything about it.

The response was largely the diplomatic equivalent of rending of cloth and gnashing of teeth, though the US did make a series of announcements, including that it would be opening new embassies. And Congress quickly backed the move in a bicameral, bipartisan bill designed to support opening the missions.

However, the efforts would have resonated more in the region if the US was taking advantage of access it already has. For example, the US currently doesn't have Ambassadors appointed to several of its existing PIC Embassies, including Fiji, which NSC Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell identified by name as a US "hub" for the region.

China and its proxies don't seem to be deterred, or much perturbed, and are forging ahead on their plans. As we saw this week in Solomon Islands.

Given you are a regular reader of this newspaper, you will not be surprised to hear that last week pro-PRC Solomon Islands PM Sogavare put forward a bill to postpone elections. You had read here, in these pages back in September 2021, that he was putting in places the pieces he needed to do just that-with Beijing's help.

We reported that, using PRC-donated "Constituency Development Funds", PM Sogavare's government had given money to 39 of the 50 MPs in Parliament: "the number, with a small buffer, required to change the Constitution. Sogavare is on record as wanting to move the next election from 2023 to 2024, something that would require a constitutional change."

Then, in our 23 April 2022 interview, you read that respected Solomons political leader Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr. said there were more indications it was coming: "I can see from the [government] budget that it's clear the government is not taking the election seriously, because they haven't put adequate budget aside for the preparations for next year's elections. For me, that is the biggest indicator. I was looking out for those numbers. And I don't see them."

Sogavare's "reason" to put off democracy was also reported here. Over a month ago, we wrote: "The excuse he's giving to postpone elections is Solomons is hosting the Pacific Games in 2023 and the country doesn't have enough for both the Games and an election."

Well, as of last week, it's official, Sogavare introduced the Bill to postpone elections because of the Games.

(continued)

#16729027 at 2022-07-14 07:41:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

>>16729023

2/3

US pushback in the Pacific

The US has joined Australia's ?effort to push back against the rise of Chinese influence in the Pacific with a multimillion-dollar package of funding for island nations and a ramped-up diplomatic presence in the region.

Vice-President Kamala Harris told Pacific leaders the US will triple funding to $US60m ($88.5m) a year over the next decade for economic development and increase "ocean resiliency" by combating illegal fishing.

The US will also establish outposts in Kiribati and Tonga and Ms Harris says that the superpower is "on track" to reopen its embassy in Solomon Islands.

The US announcement came ahead of Anthony Albanese landing in Fiji for the PIF, and as Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday met with New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama in the capital, Suva.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles - who is in the US on a four-day trip - also said Aus?tralia and the US must step up their ?engagement and military capabilities in the Pacific to avoid a "catastrophic failure of ?deterrence".

"We worry about use of force or coercion to advance territorial claims, as is occurring in the South China Sea, and its impli?cations for any number of places in the Indo-Pacific," Mr Marles said in Washington.

"I will be proposing specific measures that both sides could adopt to streamline processes and overcome barriers to procurement, investment, information and data sharing systems and export requirements."

Ahead of Ms Harris's virtual address to Pacific Island nations this week, the White House confirmed the US government would release its first national strategy on the Pacific Islands and appoint a designated envoy to the PIF to "increase our overall diplomatic footprint across the Pacific ?Islands".

The White House also revealed US Peace Corps volunteers would "soon return to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu", while confirming a re-established US Agency for International Development would "take steps to expand its presence in the Pacific to improve close co-operation with its host country partners".

China has increasingly flexed its muscles in the Pacific Islands, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi touring the Pacific in June in a bid to persuade 10 island nations to join a trade and security pact after penning a historic deal with Solomon Islands that would allow Beijing troops to be stationed in the region.

While failing to secure consensus of all targeted nations at the time, China signed individual ?accords with countries including Kiribati and Samoa.

It followed warnings from US Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell earlier this year that the Pacific was the region most likely to witness a "strategic surprise" over the "next year or two", flagging that the US needed to "step up its game" on engagement across the Indo-Pacific as China's influence grew.

On Tuesday before the US package was announced, the Prime Minister said ensuring security in the region did not come down solely to "defence spending".

"Our neighbours in the Pacific understand that climate change is a national security issue," he said, following an address to the Sydney Energy Forum.

"They regard - just as the US does - it being at the centre of national security and I look forward to the discussions that I'll have with the leaders in the Pacific."

(continued)

#16701779 at 2022-07-10 01:25:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

#23 and #24 - Part 24
Australia / China Tensions - Part 8
>>16499961 U.S. vows more high-level engagement with Pacific islands amid China push - White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell expects more high-level U.S. officials to visit Pacific island countries as Washington steps up its engagement to counter China in the strategically important region
>>16500004 Anthony Albanese to push unity on China at Pacific Islands Forum - Anthony Albanese will urge regional leaders at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum to stand together and guard against coercion and threats to their sovereignty
>>16513637 Senator Penny Wong Tweet: Our thoughts are with Cheng Lei - especially today on her birthday. Our hearts go out to her children, whose birthday messages will be passed on during a consular visit to her next Wednesday.
>>16513727 Drew Pavlou Tweet: Video: This CCP supporter attacked me and destroyed my "Free Tibet, Free Uyghurs" sign at the Chinese Ambassador's speech today
>>16513777 Arthur Sinodinos, Australia's Ambassador to the United States Tweet: Great to join @NZAmbassadorUS, Ambassador @CarolineKennedy, & representatives of the Pacific island nations tonight to strengthen our long-standing alliance & work together to advance peace & prosperity in the Pacific region & beyond.
>>16513860 China reopens visas for Australians, but those with a past COVID-19 infection will have to take six PCR tests
>>16525179 Beijing's olive branch to Australia for 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties - China's ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian says Beijing wants to restart the relationship with Australia by the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries in December
>>16525209 Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urges recognition of Taiwan - Indo-Pacific alliances need reinforcement to prevent Chinese occupation of Taiwan, which would threaten Japan, Hawaii and Australia, Pompeo says
>>16534625 China pushes for Pacific foreign ministers meeting at same time Pacific Islands Forum meets
>>16534644 'Completely out of order': ABC requests interviewee Dr Malcolm Davis, senior analyst at think tank ASPI, not to make 'anti-China' comments

>>16534696 Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - Ambassador Xiao Qian visited the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - 2022-06-24
>>16543873 Australia commits to Pacific islands defence training as China plans for a rival meeting to next month's Pacific Islands Forum
>>16563871 Anthony Albanese tells NATO leaders his government is "not afraid to stand up" against threats to peace and freedom, whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific, as the military alliance upgrades its 10-year strategic framework to include the challenge posed by China
>>16563906 Video: NATO has for the first time declared China as a security threat, warning its ambitions and coercive behaviour "challenge our interests, security and values"
>>16563927 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 29, 2022
>>16563962 Chinese media blasts 'ignorant' Anthony Albanese, claims Australian PM is being 'misled by NATO' and that hopes for bettering relations were "diminishing by the day"
>>16563982 Albanese must not be misled by alliance: China Daily editorial - chinadaily.com.cn
>>16564054 Australia part of Asia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says on visit to Malaysian birthplace
>>16572753 Beijing issues stark warning to Australia over South China Sea - "Those who come uninvited shall bear the consequences" - Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defence
>>16572765 Chinese military spokesperson responds to provocations of Australian, Canadian military aircraft - Xinhua - chinadaily.com.cn

#16701769 at 2022-07-10 01:24:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

#23 and #24 - Part 22
Australia / China Tensions - Part 6
>>16449737 GT Voice: What's the right way for Australia to warm up trade with China? - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16455152 Labor must cancel Darwin port lease as part of China strategy - Peter Jennings - theaustralian.com.au
>>16455215 Nick Coyle, executive director of the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce and partner of detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei, has urged the Labor government to put her case at the centre of diplomatic negotiations with China
>>16461204 Solomon Islands seeks to reassure Australia on China security deal, Penny Wong announces delivery of approximately 200,000 paediatric COVID-19 vaccines
>>16461220 Aussie FM's frequent visit to S.Pacific nations 'charm offensive' to exclude China from region - Zhao Yusha - globaltimes.cn
>>16461243 Difficulties can be overcome by Canada, Australia to ease China ties: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16461309 Exclusive: Peak body of Aussie elite universities urges Canberra to refresh China policy, offer more incentives to attract Chinese students - Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight (Go8), which represents elite Australian universities, expressed her strong wish to boost connections with China in an exclusive interview with the Global Times - Xu Keyue and Zhang Changyue - globaltimes.cn
>>16461315 Australia China Business Council - Speech: Recover, Refresh Connect - Vicki Thomson, Chief Executive, Group of Eight - Australia-China Education Symposium, Dockside Darling Harbour, 10 June 2022
>>16466717 New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell - Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies
>>16466738 US, Australia's recent moves in South Pacific eye new small clique to contain China - Leng Shumei - globaltimes.cn
>>16466768 The Five Eyes are now fixed on China again - Xin Ping - globaltimes.cn

>>16466818 Maoist China under Xi can never be our friend - "Geopolitically, economically and in terms of immigration and multiculturalism, China is the biggest challenge we face as a country. The biggest mistake we keep being invited to make is to think that China is well governed and just another country. It is vital that there be a deeper and more serious understanding of how it is actually governed...Abolishing the rule of law...Erasing events from history and public memory...Brutal executions...Its routine behaviour towards its own people is ruthless...This is the regime in Beijing that has imposed extraordinary economic sanctions on Australia and is seeking to extend its influence and military presence across the South Pacific. This is the regime that its Australian friends urge us to mollify, in the interests of better relations, claiming that the recent deterioration in those relations has been the consequence of tactless rhetoric by the Coalition government. This is not a regime which any of us should want to see flourish, or expand its influence." - Paul Monk - theaustralian.com.au
>>16466903 Q Post #4021 - https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1255972553950220288 - Think SIGINT - Think CIA - Think Double agents - China thought they eliminated all in-country assets. - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/asia/china-cia-spies-espionage.html - Some things are better left untold [cov]. Public truths of some events force wars. WWIII prevent.
>>16466903 Q Post #4813 - What if our MIL remained financially starved? What if [F]oreign backers continued to control America's policies? What if our borders remained open? What if China was given the keys?
>>16466903 Q Post #4821 - WHAT HAPPENS IF BIDEN BECAME POTUS KNOWING HE [THROUGH HUNTER + 2] TOOK MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF BRIBES TO CHANGE [LOOK THE OTHER WAY] US POLICY TOWARDS CHINA [IN FAVOR OF CHINA]? WOULD CHINA OWN AND CONTROL THE WHITE HOUSE?
>>16471636 Beijing's third aircraft carrier sets out to rule the waves - China has launched the "Fujian", its third and most advanced aircraft carrier as it aims to rival the US Navy as the dominant power on the seas
>>16471670 Exclusive: Five Eyes alliance fabricating evidence, building rumors of China infiltration: source - GT Staff reporters - globaltimes.cn
>>16476776 Vanuatu joins China's islands cheer squad against foreign 'interference' over human rights
>>16476813 Five Eyes 'dim-sighted' when hyping 'China infiltration': Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16487812 Foreign Ministry demands explanation following report of Five Eyes building China infiltration rumors - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16487815 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on June 21, 2022

#16701669 at 2022-07-10 01:17:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

#23 and #24 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>16449749 Media personality, politician, actor, journalist and author Derryn Hinch announces plan to run for Victorian parliament
>>16449772 'Combat credible' US marines train on NT's Tiwi Islands as US continues focus on Indo-Pacific region - Exercise Darrandarra 2022
>>16454385 Video: Dr Kerry Sieh, scientist who predicted Boxing Day tsunami says another disaster is coming - 60 Minutes Australia
>>16454386 BHP announces plans to close NSW's largest coal mine at Mt Arthur by 2030
>>16455235 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invites Anthony Albanese to visit Kyiv when he is in Europe for the annual NATO summit later this month
>>16461326 Video: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Kyiv
>>16461375 Russia sanctions hundreds of Australians including journalists - Russia's Foreign Ministry has sanctioned a broad list of 121 Australian media executives, mining bosses, academics, defence officials and journalists, citing the "Russophobic agenda" from the individuals named
>>16461400 New U.S. Bill Would Allow Australian Sailors to Train With the U.S. Navy - Up to two Royal Australian Navy officers per year could attend the U.S. Navy's Submarine Officer Basic Course, then deploy on a U.S. Navy submarine - The move would help facilitate important knowledge from the United States Navy to the Royal Australian Navy as the country begins pursuing a nuclear submarine program
>>16461444 New AUKUS Caucus Bill Calls for U.S.-Australia Submarine Training Pipeline - A bipartisan group of House lawmakers unveil legislation that would help the Royal Australian Navy train its future submarine warfare officers with U.S. sailors
>>16466717 New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell - Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies

>>16471580 Video: ADF kicks off election support to PNG - Australian Defence Force personnel deployed on Operation Kimba touch down in Papua New Guinea to provide support for the country's upcoming national election, at the request of the PNG Government
>>16476383 Donald Trump's former ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr., acting as top legal adviser to a key witness for the January 6th commission - Greg Jacob, chief legal counsel to former Vice President Mike Pence
>>16476399 Greens leader Adam Bandt has Australian flag removed from press conference, argues the symbol is 'hurtful' to Indigenous people - Greens leader Adam Bandt has refused to stand in front of the Australian flag during a press conference, arguing it is "hurtful" to Indigenous people and that the country has "work to do" combatting racism
>>16476449 Gladys Liu eyes seat in Victorian parliament - Former federal MP Gladys Liu has confirmed her nomination for Liberal Party preselection to contest a Victorian upper house seat and claimed her ultra-marginal seat of Chisholm was "unfairly targeted" in the election
>>16476467 Swimming's world governing body, FINA, votes to restrict transgender women's participation in elite swimming competitions
>>16476493 'Shame on everyone': Top Australian swimmers divided on FINA's decision to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's swimming
>>16476515 Swimming transgender vote: Caitlin Jenner celebrates FINA's decision, Hannah Mouncey's dark revelation
>>16476580 Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide hears of wait for psychiatrist appointments, hazing at Townsville base
>>16481772 Judge takes aim at Lisa Wilkinson's mention of Brittany Higgins in Logies speech as Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial delayed
>>16481793 Greens leader Adam Bandt refuses to stand with Australian flag - Adam Bandt's refusal to stand in front of the Australian flaghas been labelled divisive and "childish virtue-signalling" by Indigenous community leaders, who say it is contrary to the spirit of reconciliation

#16655204 at 2022-07-07 08:52:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #24: TRUMP CARD COMING Edition

#23 - Part 23
Australia / China Tensions - Part 8
>>16499961 U.S. vows more high-level engagement with Pacific islands amid China push - White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell expects more high-level U.S. officials to visit Pacific island countries as Washington steps up its engagement to counter China in the strategically important region
>>16500004 Anthony Albanese to push unity on China at Pacific Islands Forum - Anthony Albanese will urge regional leaders at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum to stand together and guard against coercion and threats to their sovereignty
>>16513637 Senator Penny Wong Tweet: Our thoughts are with Cheng Lei - especially today on her birthday. Our hearts go out to her children, whose birthday messages will be passed on during a consular visit to her next Wednesday.
>>16513727 Drew Pavlou Tweet: Video: This CCP supporter attacked me and destroyed my "Free Tibet, Free Uyghurs" sign at the Chinese Ambassador's speech today
>>16513777 Arthur Sinodinos, Australia's Ambassador to the United States Tweet: Great to join @NZAmbassadorUS, Ambassador @CarolineKennedy, & representatives of the Pacific island nations tonight to strengthen our long-standing alliance & work together to advance peace & prosperity in the Pacific region & beyond.
>>16513860 China reopens visas for Australians, but those with a past COVID-19 infection will have to take six PCR tests
>>16525179 Beijing's olive branch to Australia for 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties - China's ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian says Beijing wants to restart the relationship with Australia by the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries in December
>>16525209 Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urges recognition of Taiwan - Indo-Pacific alliances need reinforcement to prevent Chinese occupation of Taiwan, which would threaten Japan, Hawaii and Australia, Pompeo says
>>16534625 China pushes for Pacific foreign ministers meeting at same time Pacific Islands Forum meets
>>16534644 'Completely out of order': ABC requests interviewee Dr Malcolm Davis, senior analyst at think tank ASPI, not to make 'anti-China' comments

>>16534696 Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - Ambassador Xiao Qian visited the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - 2022-06-24
>>16543873 Australia commits to Pacific islands defence training as China plans for a rival meeting to next month's Pacific Islands Forum
>>16563871 Anthony Albanese tells NATO leaders his government is "not afraid to stand up" against threats to peace and freedom, whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific, as the military alliance upgrades its 10-year strategic framework to include the challenge posed by China
>>16563906 Video: NATO has for the first time declared China as a security threat, warning its ambitions and coercive behaviour "challenge our interests, security and values"
>>16563927 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 29, 2022
>>16563962 Chinese media blasts 'ignorant' Anthony Albanese, claims Australian PM is being 'misled by NATO' and that hopes for bettering relations were "diminishing by the day"
>>16563982 Albanese must not be misled by alliance: China Daily editorial - chinadaily.com.cn
>>16564054 Australia part of Asia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says on visit to Malaysian birthplace
>>16572753 Beijing issues stark warning to Australia over South China Sea - "Those who come uninvited shall bear the consequences" - Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defence
>>16572765 Chinese military spokesperson responds to provocations of Australian, Canadian military aircraft - Xinhua - chinadaily.com.cn

#16655199 at 2022-07-07 08:49:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #24: TRUMP CARD COMING Edition

#23 - Part 21
Australia / China Tensions - Part 6
>>16449737 GT Voice: What's the right way for Australia to warm up trade with China? - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16455152 Labor must cancel Darwin port lease as part of China strategy - Peter Jennings - theaustralian.com.au
>>16455215 Nick Coyle, executive director of the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce and partner of detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei, has urged the Labor government to put her case at the centre of diplomatic negotiations with China
>>16461204 Solomon Islands seeks to reassure Australia on China security deal, Penny Wong announces delivery of approximately 200,000 paediatric COVID-19 vaccines
>>16461220 Aussie FM's frequent visit to S.Pacific nations 'charm offensive' to exclude China from region - Zhao Yusha - globaltimes.cn
>>16461243 Difficulties can be overcome by Canada, Australia to ease China ties: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16461309 Exclusive: Peak body of Aussie elite universities urges Canberra to refresh China policy, offer more incentives to attract Chinese students - Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight (Go8), which represents elite Australian universities, expressed her strong wish to boost connections with China in an exclusive interview with the Global Times - Xu Keyue and Zhang Changyue - globaltimes.cn
>>16461315 Australia China Business Council - Speech: Recover, Refresh Connect - Vicki Thomson, Chief Executive, Group of Eight - Australia-China Education Symposium, Dockside Darling Harbour, 10 June 2022
>>16466717 New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell - Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies
>>16466738 US, Australia's recent moves in South Pacific eye new small clique to contain China - Leng Shumei - globaltimes.cn
>>16466768 The Five Eyes are now fixed on China again - Xin Ping - globaltimes.cn

>>16466818 Maoist China under Xi can never be our friend - "Geopolitically, economically and in terms of immigration and multiculturalism, China is the biggest challenge we face as a country. The biggest mistake we keep being invited to make is to think that China is well governed and just another country. It is vital that there be a deeper and more serious understanding of how it is actually governed…Abolishing the rule of law…Erasing events from history and public memory…Brutal executions…Its routine behaviour towards its own people is ruthless…This is the regime in Beijing that has imposed extraordinary economic sanctions on Australia and is seeking to extend its influence and military presence across the South Pacific. This is the regime that its Australian friends urge us to mollify, in the interests of better relations, claiming that the recent deterioration in those relations has been the consequence of tactless rhetoric by the Coalition government. This is not a regime which any of us should want to see flourish, or expand its influence." - Paul Monk - theaustralian.com.au
>>16466903 Q Post #4021 - https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1255972553950220288 - Think SIGINT - Think CIA - Think Double agents - China thought they eliminated all in-country assets. - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/asia/china-cia-spies-espionage.html - Some things are better left untold [cov]. Public truths of some events force wars. WWIII prevent.
>>16466903 Q Post #4813 - What if our MIL remained financially starved? What if [F]oreign backers continued to control America's policies? What if our borders remained open? What if China was given the keys?
>>16466903 Q Post #4821 - WHAT HAPPENS IF BIDEN BECAME POTUS KNOWING HE [THROUGH HUNTER + 2] TOOK MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF BRIBES TO CHANGE [LOOK THE OTHER WAY] US POLICY TOWARDS CHINA [IN FAVOR OF CHINA]? WOULD CHINA OWN AND CONTROL THE WHITE HOUSE?
>>16471636 Beijing's third aircraft carrier sets out to rule the waves - China has launched the "Fujian", its third and most advanced aircraft carrier as it aims to rival the US Navy as the dominant power on the seas
>>16471670 Exclusive: Five Eyes alliance fabricating evidence, building rumors of China infiltration: source - GT Staff reporters - globaltimes.cn
>>16476776 Vanuatu joins China's islands cheer squad against foreign 'interference' over human rights
>>16476813 Five Eyes 'dim-sighted' when hyping 'China infiltration': Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16487812 Foreign Ministry demands explanation following report of Five Eyes building China infiltration rumors - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16487815 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on June 21, 2022

#16655168 at 2022-07-07 08:34:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #24: TRUMP CARD COMING Edition

#23 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>16449749 Media personality, politician, actor, journalist and author Derryn Hinch announces plan to run for Victorian parliament
>>16449772 'Combat credible' US marines train on NT's Tiwi Islands as US continues focus on Indo-Pacific region - Exercise Darrandarra 2022
>>16454385 Video: Dr Kerry Sieh, scientist who predicted Boxing Day tsunami says another disaster is coming - 60 Minutes Australia
>>16454386 BHP announces plans to close NSW's largest coal mine at Mt Arthur by 2030
>>16455235 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invites Anthony Albanese to visit Kyiv when he is in Europe for the annual NATO summit later this month
>>16461326 Video: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Kyiv
>>16461375 Russia sanctions hundreds of Australians including journalists - Russia's Foreign Ministry has sanctioned a broad list of 121 Australian media executives, mining bosses, academics, defence officials and journalists, citing the "Russophobic agenda" from the individuals named
>>16461400 New U.S. Bill Would Allow Australian Sailors to Train With the U.S. Navy - Up to two Royal Australian Navy officers per year could attend the U.S. Navy's Submarine Officer Basic Course, then deploy on a U.S. Navy submarine - The move would help facilitate important knowledge from the United States Navy to the Royal Australian Navy as the country begins pursuing a nuclear submarine program
>>16461444 New AUKUS Caucus Bill Calls for U.S.-Australia Submarine Training Pipeline - A bipartisan group of House lawmakers unveil legislation that would help the Royal Australian Navy train its future submarine warfare officers with U.S. sailors
>>16466717 New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell - Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies

>>16471580 Video: ADF kicks off election support to PNG - Australian Defence Force personnel deployed on Operation Kimba touch down in Papua New Guinea to provide support for the country's upcoming national election, at the request of the PNG Government
>>16476383 Donald Trump's former ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr., acting as top legal adviser to a key witness for the January 6th commission - Greg Jacob, chief legal counsel to former Vice President Mike Pence
>>16476399 Greens leader Adam Bandt has Australian flag removed from press conference, argues the symbol is 'hurtful' to Indigenous people - Greens leader Adam Bandt has refused to stand in front of the Australian flag during a press conference, arguing it is "hurtful" to Indigenous people and that the country has "work to do" combatting racism
>>16476449 Gladys Liu eyes seat in Victorian parliament - Former federal MP Gladys Liu has confirmed her nomination for Liberal Party preselection to contest a Victorian upper house seat and claimed her ultra-marginal seat of Chisholm was "unfairly targeted" in the election
>>16476467 Swimming's world governing body, FINA, votes to restrict transgender women's participation in elite swimming competitions
>>16476493 'Shame on everyone': Top Australian swimmers divided on FINA's decision to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's swimming
>>16476515 Swimming transgender vote: Caitlin Jenner celebrates FINA's decision, Hannah Mouncey's dark revelation
>>16476580 Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide hears of wait for psychiatrist appointments, hazing at Townsville base
>>16481772 Judge takes aim at Lisa Wilkinson's mention of Brittany Higgins in Logies speech as Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial delayed
>>16481793 Greens leader Adam Bandt refuses to stand with Australian flag - Adam Bandt's refusal to stand in front of the Australian flaghas been labelled divisive and "childish virtue-signalling" by Indigenous community leaders, who say it is contrary to the spirit of reconciliation

#16534731 at 2022-06-27 10:08:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16418526
>>16461400
AUKUS: Nuclear subs possible for Australia by 2030: US defence expert

ADAM CREIGHTON - JUNE 27, 2022

Australia could have two nuclear powered submarines of its own by 2030, a decade ahead of the timetable laid out under the AUKUS security pact, according to a US defence expert close to the Pentagon.

Bryan Clark, a former adviser to the head of US naval operations, said a new bipartisan bill in Congress to allow Australian naval officers to train on US nuclear submarines signalled the US would provide "one or two" nuclear submarines by 2030.

"Previously I thought the US would not be willing to follow through with the subs part of AUKUS - because of a reluctance to give up domestic submarine production to Australia - but it sounds like there's been movement on that, that the US may be willing to divert some of its new submarines," he told The Australian.

"I think the US is now looking at giving Australia one of the final block IV Virginia class subs, within the next few years, as it comes off production, with a second one by the end of the decade," Mr Clark, a defence technology expert at the Hudson Institute, who earlier spent 25 years in the US navy, said.

The Australian Submarine Officer Pipeline Bill, which will see Australian sailors train on US nuclear-powered submarines, became part of the US military budget negotiations last week, helping ease its passage through the Senate.

"Inclusion in this year's [military budgeting] is a clear signal that our effort and the underlying AUKUS alliance both have strong, bipartisan support in Congress," said Democrat Congressman Joe Courtney, who first introduced the bill.

The AUKUS security pact between Australia, the US and UK, which emerged in September, provided 18 months for the three nations to develop a concrete path for Australia to acquire eight nuclear-powered submarines using UK and US technology.

"It's an open question over how the rest will be built though, the US doesn't have the capacity to provide six or eight," Mr Clark said.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton was criticised earlier this month for revealing plans in train when he was defence minister to obtain two nuclear powered submarines before 2030.

The AUKUS pact envisages the prospective nuclear-powered submarines would be built in Australia, but experts have suggested the earlier submarines at least would be made in the US or UK.

"It's more likely they'll be US built and they'll establish maintenance and overhaul facilities in Australia," Mr Clark said.

Kurt Campbell, Joe Biden's National Security Council Co-ordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said last week the three-way security deal was "behind the scenes making quietly remarkable progress in areas associated with tech", flagging an "announcement about the submarine initiative shortly".

The Biden administration has praised the Albanese government for maintaining the previous government's focus on AUKUS and for working with the US to push back against Chinese belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Establishing a joint training pipeline between our navy and the Australian navy is a critical step that will take our security partnership to the next level," said Congressman Mike Gallagher, a Republican, who also sponsored the joint training bill.

The government agreed earlier this month to pay France, where Prime minister Anthony Albanese will meet president Emmanuel Macron this week, a 555-million-euro settlement over Australia's severance of an earlier contract with French industry to build a fleet of conventional submarines to replace the ageing Collins class.

Charles Edel, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies specialising in Australia, said shared manning of submarines would "jump-start" the AUKUS process.

"One of the key requirements for Australia to field nuclear propelled submarines is ensuring that they have the sailors to crew those subs," he told The Australian.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/aukus-nuclear-subs-possible-for-australia-by-2030-us-defence-expert/news-story/0dc07fc6c316651f5198ca0f5b577729

#16499961 at 2022-06-24 14:08:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16466717
U.S. vows more high-level engagement with Pacific islands amid China push

Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom - June 24, 2022

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Thursday he expects more high-level U.S. officials to visit Pacific island countries as Washington steps up its engagement to counter China in the strategically important region.

Campbell said the United States needed more diplomatic facilities across the region, and more contact with Pacific island countries that at times "receive lesser attention."

"You will see more cabinet-level, more senior officials, going to the Pacific … recognizing that nothing replaces, really, diplomatic boots on the ground," he told Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Biden administration has vowed to commit more resources to the Indo-Pacific as China seeks to boost economic, military and police links with Pacific island nations hungry for foreign investment.

Beijing's growing influence was highlighted by its security pact with the Solomon Islands this year, a move that fanned concerns in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

"Sovereignty is central in terms of how we see the Pacific overall. Any initiative that compromises or calls into question that sovereignty, I think we would have concerns with," Campbell said, without referring to China.

Washington has said it will expedite the opening of an embassy in the Solomon Islands, announced earlier this year when Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Fiji, the first trip there by America's top diplomat in four decades.

Campbell said he envisioned Fiji would be one of the United States' "hubs" of engagement.

"Our mantra will be nothing in the Pacific without the Pacific … we do not take these bonds for granted," he said, acknowledging perceptions that Washington had not always sufficiently taken the needs of islanders into account.

Monica Medina, responsible for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. State Department, said areas where Pacific islands particularly needed help included coping with climate change and countering illegal fishing.

"We know we have much, much, much more work to do," she said.

Fiji's U.N. ambassador, Satyendra Prasad, told the CSIS event the islands needed "great predictability" and no "stop-start" in ties with Washington.

"Pacific people and their governments would welcome an enduring partnership with U.S. that is there for the long-term," he said.

Samoa's U.N. envoy said there was a need to see whether a U.S. treaty with the Pacific covering tuna could be expanded into a wider trade agreement.

"I think that is already under consideration," Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa'olelei Luteru said. "That's something that would be very helpful."

Washington could also help by supporting the U.N.-driven Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index to help island nations access concessional financing.

In apparent reference to China's attraction, Luteru said politicians had a responsibility to their people.

"If … you ask a particular country and they are not able to help you, you then have a choice to say no, we're not going to provide that service to the people; or you go to another country that perhaps is not the traditional partner, and you say to them, can you help us?" he said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/more-us-cabinet-level-officials-visit-pacific-island-region-2022-06-23/

#16466738 at 2022-06-18 13:51:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16461204
>>16466717
US, Australia's recent moves in South Pacific eye new small clique to contain China

Leng Shumei - Jun 18, 2022

With recent intensified moves in the South Pacific together with Australia, the US is eyeing another small clique in the South Pacific region to contain China following previous moves to organize AUKUS and expand NATO, experts said as Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong kicked off a visit to the Solomon Islands on Friday.

Media said that Wong had addressed a security pact between the Solomon Islands and China signed in April during talks with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, but no details were released.

Sogavare has sought to reassure Australia there will not be a military base in the Pacific island nation as a result of its security pact with China, media reported.

"Australia's view remains that the Pacific family should be responsible for our security and the Pacific family is more than capable of providing that security," she told reporters at a press conference.

China has repeatedly criticized reactions from countries such as the US and Australia over the pact.

Chinese experts also said Australian officials' wincing at the pact exposes its lingering colonial myth and coercive diplomacy. Australia wants to play the role of the head of the so-called Pacific family, but the colonial era ended long ago. It has no right to judge other regional countries' domestic affairs, experts noted.

According to the Australian foreign ministry's website, Wong had vowed to deliver up to 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Solomon Islands under Australia's pledge to support the country to administer COVID-19 vaccines to protect its citizens.

No more details have been officially released so far. But Chen Hong, president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, estimated that Wong would promise other petty favors to the Solomon Islands like vaccine donation.

The epidemic and vaccination is not an urgent issue for the Solomon Islands, so such acts have more symbolic than practical significance as they simply flaunt Australia's desire to be closely involved in various aspects of the Solomon Islands. Public health, for example, is an area in which Australia wants to demonstrate its strength and influence, Chen told the Global Times on Friday.

Before visiting the Solomon Islands, Wong met with her New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta in Wellington on Thursday where regional security, climate change and labor mobility were on the agenda.

The move came three days after Mahuta's video call with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday.

Chen warned that by including New Zealand and the Solomon Islands in the same visit, almost immediately after Wang Yi and Mahuta's constructive video call, Australia is obviously making efforts to draw over New Zealand to its side to join the "arena of contestation" in the South Pacific region against China.

Australia's moves aim to serve the US' Indo-Pacific strategy, analysts pointed out.

Wong's visit to the Solomon Islands is her third one to the South Pacific region less than a month after she took office, along with recent frequent visits by US officials to the region that observers said target China's boosting cooperation for development and security with the island nations in the South Pacific.

On Thursday, Kurt Campbell, a senior official for Asia in the US national security council, said at a forum that the US planned to propose a new initiative to address issues in the Pacific next week as it scrambled to offset China's thrust into the region, media reported.

Washington is "stepping up across the board" its engagement with Pacific island nations to address their concerns over everything from relations with Washington to illegal fishing, climate change and regional security,

Proposing the alleged "new initiative" shows the US is aiming to set up one more small cliques in the Asia Pacific to contain China just like its previous moves to establish AUKUS, and revive Quad, Chen said.

The US is playing a deceitful trick to discuss so-called issues of concerns of the South Pacific Island countries (PICs) as it would start another round of scare and smear campaign and fabricate fake news and falsehoods about illegally fishing and biodiversity so as to impede cooperation between the PICs and China in areas such as blue economy and environmental protection, Chen warned.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202206/1268399.shtml

#16466717 at 2022-06-18 13:44:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16418526
New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell

Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies.

COLIN CLARK - June 17, 2022

SYDNEY: The first detailed glimpse into the controversial AUKUS nuclear attack submarine deal between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States would be be offered "shortly," President Biden's top man on China, Kurt Campbell, said.

"I think we've made, behind the scenes, quietly remarkable progress in areas associated with technology where not only the three countries (Australia, the UK and the US) are deeply engaged, but other partners are also supporting working groups," Campbell said in remarks at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. "And we will have more to say shortly with regard to the submarine initiative, and I just want to underscore that, as we see a new government coming, finding its legs in Australia, the partnership on AUKUS could not be stronger."

In a sign of just how important the Indo-Pacific is to the Biden administration, Campbell said they plan "to step up our game substantially in the Pacific. This is an area of enormous strategic importance. We have historical and moral responsibilities. Both from the Second World War and subsequent the nuclear age."

The US effectively took over a range of Pacific territories after World War II. And, of course, nuclear tests were carried out in the Marshall Islands, destroying at least four islands and depositing long-lasting nuclear fallout on Bikini and Eniewetok. Nuclear waste and contaminated material were stored under what's known as the Runit Island dome.

While he offered no details, Campbell said the US also will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, which have come into such sharp relief recently with the secret security pact signed between the Solomon Islands and China. Also, China's foreign minister toured the islands for the first time and tried to push through a regional trade and security agreement. It was not adopted by the nations he visited, which included Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Niue and Vanuatu, but the effort was a klaxon warning to US and Australian officials.

"We are trying to meet the Pacific where they live, and I'm gratified to say not only are we doing this on a bilateral basis, but we will be launching next week an initiative to work with a variety of like minded countries on an open, very detailed set of engagements in which we share our views work closely with partners from the Pacific Island Forum to ensure that like-minded countries like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Great Britain, France and others, are able to make clear our desire to keep a Pacific environment that's open that's healthy, that's productive and free from coercion," Campbell said.

He pointed to "maritime domain awareness, unexploded ordinance, climate change, illegal fishing, all the things that matter in the Pacific" as areas the administration is focusing on.

Asked if the US has sufficiently funded its pivot to the Pacific, he acknowledged that was "a valid criticism." He added that "what you will also see is specific initiatives to build more embassies where we don't have any in the Pacific," as well as "more coast guard initiatives" and "more money for things like the tuna treaty."

Finding new money not just for weapons but for USAID and other efforts is "appropriate and necessary," Campbell said. But it's going to be hard.

"But over time, one of the hardest things in government is to make choices among existing, you know, priorities and regions. And that's very difficult," he said. Campbell pointed to high demand around the world for American leadership and engagement. At a time of what he called "economic uncertainty," it may be even harder.

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/06/new-info-on-aukus-sub-deal-shortly-nscs-Kurt-Campbell/

https://conference.cnas.org/

#16343604 at 2022-05-26 08:35:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

#22 - Part 20
Australia / China Tensions - Part 1
>>16040759 New US Ambassador to Australia warns on Solomon Islands - Caroline Kennedy said she was committed to taking a stronger stance against China's coercion in the Indo-Pacific
>>16047451 Top US official Kurt Campbell reportedly heading to Solomon Islands to discuss Chinese security pact concerns
>>16047461 US to send officials to Solomon Islands due to tensions over China security pact - Washington fears Beijing will gain strategic toehold in Pacific close to Australia
>>16047471 Solomons clear on military bases: "They won't allow a military base there" - Defence Minister Peter Dutton
>>16047493 Ex-Labor campaigner Teresa Siu has links to suspected Chinese 'puppeteer' Chau Chak Wing
>>16059101 Machine guns and automatic rifles on weapons import list for secret Chinese security team in Solomon Islands
>>16059114 Ties with US, not China, the cause of Australia's headache - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16065928 Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja's Solomon Islands dash to stymie deal with China
>>16065951 Solomon Islands Government Statement: GOV'T CAUTIONS AGAINST FAKE NEWS AFTER LEAKED DOCUMENTS
>>16065951 Solomon Islands Government Statement: STATUS OF CHINA'S REQUEST FOR DIPLOMATIC SECURITY PERSONAL

>>16065990 Australia's Pacific Minister Zed Seselja urges Solomon Islands Prime Minister not to sign China security deal
>>16065990 Visiting Commandant of the US Marine Corp, General David Berger, has highlighted the geographic importance of Solomon Islands - "The Solomon Islands, their location matters. It's clearly a point of contention and competition."
>>16068464 US warns Solomons on China - US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Menendez: "not in the interests of the US, Australia or the Solomon Islands for a Chinese base to be established in the Pacific nation"
>>16068475 Video: Australia is 'growing with freedom': Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says Australia has paid a "heavy price" for standing up to communist China and the United States stands with the nation more than ever before
>>16074008 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 13, 2022
>>16080093 Shame on freedom as US and Australia threaten Solomons: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16086581 Solomon govt refutes misinformation on deal with China, condemning those who attempt to undermine its stability - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16092047 Foreign Minister Marise Payne says Australia would keep security ties with Solomon Islands despite China pact
>>16092060 Solomon Islands Government Statement: SOLOMON ISLANDS AND AUSTRALIA HOLD PRODUCTIVE SECURITY DISCUSSIONS
>>16092085 White House finally awakens to PRC capture of Solomon Islands - Cleo Paskal - sundayguardianlive.com

>>16092209 China not a big concern: Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John - "China doesn't pose a threat to Australia and the party has no problem with Solomon Islands' decision to forge a security partnership with Beijing"
>>16104788 US warns that China's soldiers could be stationed in Solomons
>>16104792 China and Solomon Islands sign security pact, Beijing says it is 'not directed at any third party' amid Pacific influence fears
>>16104804 China says it signs security pact with Solomon Islands
>>16111159 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 19, 2022
>>16111165 Video: PICs have the right to independently choose their cooperation partners. - SpokespersonCHN
>>16111180 US' high-level visit to Solomon Islands aims to nullify China security pact, uses region as hegemonic fulcrum - Xu Keyue, Shan Jie and Bai Yunyi - globaltimes.cn
>>16111196 Prime Minister Scott Morrison defends Foreign Minister Marise Payne's absence from Solomons as 'strategic decision'
>>16111221 The China-Solomon Islands security deal is a failure that goes back years - Anthony Galloway - theage.com.au
>>16111259 Video: Scott Morrison pushes back on claims the government bungled security relationship with Solomon Islands

#16343536 at 2022-05-26 08:09:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

#22 - Part 20
Australia / China Tensions - Part 1
>>16040759 New US Ambassador to Australia warns on Solomon Islands - Caroline Kennedy said she was committed to taking a stronger stance against China's coercion in the Indo-Pacific
>>16047451 Top US official Kurt Campbell reportedly heading to Solomon Islands to discuss Chinese security pact concerns
>>16047461 US to send officials to Solomon Islands due to tensions over China security pact - Washington fears Beijing will gain strategic toehold in Pacific close to Australia
>>16047471 Solomons clear on military bases: "They won't allow a military base there" - Defence Minister Peter Dutton
>>16047493 Ex-Labor campaigner Teresa Siu has links to suspected Chinese 'puppeteer' Chau Chak Wing
>>16059101 Machine guns and automatic rifles on weapons import list for secret Chinese security team in Solomon Islands
>>16059114 Ties with US, not China, the cause of Australia's headache - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16065928 Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja's Solomon Islands dash to stymie deal with China
>>16065951 Solomon Islands Government Statement: GOV'T CAUTIONS AGAINST FAKE NEWS AFTER LEAKED DOCUMENTS
>>16065951 Solomon Islands Government Statement: STATUS OF CHINA'S REQUEST FOR DIPLOMATIC SECURITY PERSONAL

>>16065990 Australia's Pacific Minister Zed Seselja urges Solomon Islands Prime Minister not to sign China security deal
>>16065990 Visiting Commandant of the US Marine Corp, General David Berger, has highlighted the geographic importance of Solomon Islands - "The Solomon Islands, their location matters. It's clearly a point of contention and competition."
>>16068464 US warns Solomons on China - US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Menendez: "not in the interests of the US, Australia or the Solomon Islands for a Chinese base to be established in the Pacific nation"
>>16068475 Video: Australia is 'growing with freedom': Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says Australia has paid a "heavy price" for standing up to communist China and the United States stands with the nation more than ever before
>>16074008 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 13, 2022
>>16080093 Shame on freedom as US and Australia threaten Solomons: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16086581 Solomon govt refutes misinformation on deal with China, condemning those who attempt to undermine its stability - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>16092047 Foreign Minister Marise Payne says Australia would keep security ties with Solomon Islands despite China pact
>>16092060 Solomon Islands Government Statement: SOLOMON ISLANDS AND AUSTRALIA HOLD PRODUCTIVE SECURITY DISCUSSIONS
>>16092085 White House finally awakens to PRC capture of Solomon Islands - Cleo Paskal - sundayguardianlive.com

>>16092209 China not a big concern: Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John - "China doesn't pose a threat to Australia and the party has no problem with Solomon Islands' decision to forge a security partnership with Beijing"
>>16104788 US warns that China's soldiers could be stationed in Solomons
>>16104792 China and Solomon Islands sign security pact, Beijing says it is 'not directed at any third party' amid Pacific influence fears
>>16104804 China says it signs security pact with Solomon Islands
>>16111159 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 19, 2022
>>16111165 Video: PICs have the right to independently choose their cooperation partners. - SpokespersonCHN
>>16111180 US' high-level visit to Solomon Islands aims to nullify China security pact, uses region as hegemonic fulcrum - Xu Keyue, Shan Jie and Bai Yunyi - globaltimes.cn
>>16111196 Prime Minister Scott Morrison defends Foreign Minister Marise Payne's absence from Solomons as 'strategic decision'
>>16111221 The China-Solomon Islands security deal is a failure that goes back years - Anthony Galloway - theage.com.au
>>16111259 Video: Scott Morrison pushes back on claims the government bungled security relationship with Solomon Islands

#16337807 at 2022-05-25 10:08:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16104792
Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong to ramp-up official visits to South Pacific to counter Chinese push to expand its influence

GEOFF CHAMBERS and BEN PACKHAM - MAY 25, 2022

1/2

Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong will dramatically ramp-up official visits to South Pacific nations to counter an unprecedented Chinese push to expand its influence in the region.

The Australian understands Senator Wong is preparing a blitz of South Pacific nations, heading to Fiji on Thursday as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarks on a massive eight-nation tour of the Pacific starting in the Solomon Islands.

The Prime Minister is expected to undertake a major trip to Indonesia in coming weeks, and will visit Papua New Guinea as soon as possible.

He and Senator Wong will also attend the Pacific Island Forum in mid-July, where they will present the nation's more ambitious climate change policies as evidence that Australia is listening to its Pacific partners.

In Suva, Senator Wong said she would meet with Fiji's Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, Pacific Island Forum secretary-general Henry Puna, "to discuss how we can best secure our region and help build a stronger Pacific family".

"The visit, in my first week as Foreign Minister, demonstrates the importance we place on our relationship with Fiji and on our Pacific engagement," she said.

"Australia will listen to our Pacific partners as we work together to face our shared challenges and achieve our shared goals - including tackling climate change, pandemic recovery, economic development and regional security."

While in Fiji, Senator Wong will deliver a speech at the PIF secretariat on Australia's new energy, climate change and regional commitments.

She is expected to travel to most of Australia's other Pacific partners in the weeks following her initial Fiji trip.

Before flying back to Sydney on Wednesday from the Quad meeting in Tokyo, Mr Albanese said his US, Japanese and Indian counterparts had discussed the "nature of the region" and "making sure that we reach out to other countries, including engaging with the ASEAN nations here in going forward with our common views".

Japan and the US, led by Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell, are also planning to increase their footprint in the region to stifle Beijing's soft power push and military ambitions.

The Chinese foreign ministry revealed late on Tuesday that in addition to Solomon Islands, Mr Wang would visit Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.

The visit will pile pressure on the new Albanese government, which hopes to rebuild and cement Australia's status as the "partner of choice" for Pacific Island countries amid surging Chinese efforts to co-opt regional leaders.

The Wang trip, unveiled as the Quad summit closed in Tokyo, is aimed at countering intensified US and Australian diplomacy in the region.

During the trip, Mr Wang is expected to formally sign the controversial Solomon Islands security agreement, and a new "Blue Economy" memorandum of understanding, revealed previously by The Australian.

He is likely to unveil a host of other MoUs during the trip, and will reportedly progress a new security agreement with Kiribati.

The Chinese Embassy in PNG has also been lobbying the PNG government to allow it to provide assistance to the nation's security forces to prevent outbreaks of violence during the country's election's period next month.

(continued)

#16337711 at 2022-05-25 09:14:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16337709

2/2

The Quad focus on South Pacific nations comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi travels through the region this week, supported by a 20-member delegation with stops expected in Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Beijing is urging other nations to follow Honiara's lead and sign up to security agreements with China.

The Quad leaders flagged increased co-operation with South Pacific and ASEAN members to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the security dialogue and released technological, infrastructure and global health announcements aimed at neutralising Chinese power over critical technology supply chains and soft diplomacy efforts.

Mr Biden, accompanied by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Indo-Pacific adviser Kurt Campbell, continued to call out China after earlier this week, warning that the US would intervene if Taiwan was invaded.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's increasingly assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific hung over Tuesday's summit.

In Mr Biden's opening remarks he praised Mr Albanese for turning up after a long election campaign and joked that he wouldn't be surprised if he had a sleep during the summit.

The US President said the Quad meeting was being held during a "dark hour in our shared history".

Mr Biden was the only leader to mention China specifically in his opening remarks, which were made before the media were asked to leave the room.

"I was once asked by the leader of China why I kept talking about being an Indo-Pacific power," he said. "And I said 'because we are - we share the Pacific - one entire side of our country'."

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Tuesday night reacted furiously to Mr Biden's comments on Taiwan.

"We advise the US side to listen to a well-known old Chinese song," Mr Wang said.

"It sings that when a friend comes, there is a good wine. If the jackal comes, there is a shotgun to greet him."

After Labor criticised the Morrison government for failing to do more to improve relations with Beijing, Mr Albanese on Tuesday was careful to tone down his response to Mr Li's letter on the eve of the Quad summit, which was viewed with scepticism by foreign policy experts.

A White House statement released following the meeting between Mr Biden and Mr Albanese said the pair had doubled down on the AUKUS security pact with the UK.

"He (Mr Biden) commended Australia's strong support for Ukraine since Russia's invasion, and the leaders agreed on the importance of continued solidarity, including to ensure that no such event is ever repeated in the Indo-Pacific," the statement said.

"The leaders praised the swift progress the United States and Australia are making, together with the UK, under the AUKUS partnership."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/albaneses-day-one-change-the-climate/news-story/60e6c07e2b663ddc11bf35de8cf5c47e

#16207271 at 2022-05-04 09:05:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16104792
Not Russia's fault: Sogavare's chilling remarks in defence of China security deal

BEN PACKHAM - MAY 4, 2022

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says his country has been threatened "with invasion" by opponents of its security agreement with China as he chillingly declared Russia was not the aggressor in the Cuban missile crisis.

In an extraordinary address to parliament in defence of the controversial security agreement, Mr Sogavare said his country had been treated by critics of the pact like "kindergarten students walking around with Colt .45s in our hands".

He pushed back, without naming the US or Australia, at both nations' warnings that a Chinese military presence in Solomon Islands would not be tolerated.

"We deplore the continual demonstration of lack of trust by the concerned parties, and tacit warning of military intervention in Solomon Islands if their national interest is undermined in Solomon Islands," Mr Sogavare said.

"What is more insulting, Mr Speaker, in this attitude, and therefore totally unacceptable, is we are being treated as kindergarten students walking around with Colt .45s in our hands, and therefore we need to be supervised. We are insulted."

The attack followed Scott Morrison's warning that a Chinese base in Solomon Islands would be a "red line" for Australia, and US Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell's declaration that the US would "respond accordingly" to Chinese a Chinese military presence in the country.

Echoing Chinese and Russian talking points, Mr Sogavare said there were "two sides" to the story of the Cuban missile crisis and the war in Ukraine.

"The full story of the Cuban missile crisis was never told to the public," he told the Solomon Islands parliament on Tuesday.

"You know why? Because it is not good for the Integrity of some people.

"We understand that there is at least two sides to every situation we see happening in the world today, including the Ukraine crisis that the Western world is trying to get every nation to condemn.

"Russia was not the aggressor in the Cuban missile crisis. No.

"It was in response to the presence of American Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey and the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Soviet secretary Khrushchev agreed to Cuba's request to establish nuclear missiles on the island to deter future invasion."

Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce earlier warned the security pact would result in "our own little Cuba off our coast", in a reference to the October 1962 crisis in which Russia positioned ballistic missiles in the territory of America's communist neighbour.

The Solomon Islands-China security agreement has raised the prospect - denied by the Sogavare government - of the development of a Chinese base within easy striking range of Australia.

The fiery Pacific leader, whose country is almost universally Christian, condemned nations which proclaimed "Christian values" but had waged "some of the bloodiest wars in the history of our planet".

He also attacked references in Australia of the Solomon Islands being in Australia's "backyard".

Mr Sogavare said backyards were "where rubbish is collected and burned", and "where we relieve ourselves".

Former Australian Strategic Policy Institute head Peter Jennings said Mr Sogavare's rhetoric was "as unhinged as Fidel Castro's".

"Sogavare should remember that the Cuban missile crisis ultimately left Cuba isolated from its neighbours in the Caribbean, with a mouldering economy, and its youth fighting Russia's proxy wars in Africa," he said.

Mr Jennings said Mr Sogavare's reaction to Australian and US concerns over the China agreement showed "Australian politicians have been pandering to Pacific leaders with soft soap rhetoric about the Pacific family".

"When a genuine crisis comes along sometimes we need to remind the region that Australia has security interests that need to be respected," he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/not-russias-fault-sogavares-chilling-remarks-in-defence-of-china-security-deal/news-story/aed61903539561c3bfeaf214b9ba4ea1

#16162773 at 2022-04-27 10:33:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16104792
Minister says China timed Solomon Islands security deal to damage Coalition's election chances

Stephen Dziedzic - 27 April 2022

A senior federal government frontbencher has effectively alleged China timed the announcement of its security pact with Solomon Islands to hurt the Coalition's chances at the federal election, suggesting it could be an act of "political interference" by Beijing.

Australian officials fear the agreement could allow China to establish a military presence in the Pacific Island country down the track, and the news that it had been signed sent shock waves through the federal election campaign last week.

Labor has used the revelation to try and undermine the Coalition's national security credentials and accused the government of a catastrophic foreign policy blunder, while some senior ministers have hinted that China may have used bribery to secure the pact.

This morning, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said she believed it was "very likely" that China would attempt to send its troops to the Solomon Islands.

And she suggested the timing of the announcement might have been deliberate, saying Beijing was "clearly very aware we are in a federal election campaign at the moment".

"I think the one … thing we should be at least taking notice of and paying attention to is the timing of the announcement from deals in relation to Solomon Islands," she told Brisbane radio station 4BC.

"Why now, why right in the middle of a federal election campaign, is all of this coming to light? I mean we talk about political interference and that has many forms."

Labor has already scoffed at the suggestion, with the Shadow Defence Minister Brendan O'Connor saying Ms Andrews was "so out of depth in her security portfolio she's embarking on flights of conspiratorial fantasy."

"The government won't accept they have presided over one of the worst policy failures in the Pacific since WWII. When you mess up, fess up," he wrote on Twitter.

Timing 'more likely' related to US visit: official

The negotiations over the security pact first came to light in late March, when a copy of the draft agreement was leaked on social media, sparking a political and media firestorm in Australia.

About four weeks later China's Foreign Ministry unilaterally announced during a regular press conference that the final agreement had been signed by both countries.

The announcement came only days before senior White House official Kurt Campbell was due to land in Honiara to press Solomon Islands not to push ahead with the pact.

One Australian official told the ABC while China might have been "quite happy" that the announcement coincided with the federal election, it was more likely driven by its desire to bed down the security agreement as quickly as possible, particularly ahead of Mr Campbell's visit.

The ABC has asked the Home Affairs Minister's office if the government has any intelligence substantiating the claim, but has not yet received a response.

Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally said if the government had proof of foreign interference then it should share it with the Opposition.

"Offered with no proof. We are in caretaker mode. If Karen Andrews has such intelligence, Labor should be briefed," she said on Twitter.

"Otherwise she should listen to ASIO: using fear of foreign interference is as corrosive as foreign interference itself."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-27/minister-says-china-timed-solomons-deal-to-damage-coalition/101018476

#16155501 at 2022-04-26 10:44:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16155490
Solomon Islands Government Statement

US RESPECTS SOLOMON ISLANDS SOVEREIGNTY

April 25, 2022

Contrary to international media reports in past weeks on the Solomon Islands-China Security Cooperation, a top US Official says the US respects the sovereign decision of the Solomon Islands Government to establish a Security Cooperation with the People's Republic of China.

US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo -Pacific, Kurt Campbell met Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare Friday last week during which the two leaders discussed issues of common interest to both countries and reaffirmed their friendship and committed to strengthen their relations and work together on issues of mutual interest.

On the China-Solomon Islands Security Cooperation, Mr Campbell said the US respects the Solomon Islands decision saying the US has no say in the pact.

"We have no say on the SI-China agreement. We respect Solomon Islands sovereign decision. There is no misunderstanding," Campbell said.

Campbell reassures Prime Minister Sogavare that the United States is back and will do more to support Solomon Islands.

"We will do better and committed to do more in Solomon Islands," Campbell said Friday last week.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare acknowledged with gratitude the United States revitalized relations with Solomon Islands and welcome the US decision to re-establish its Embassy in Honiara and acknowledge the recent signing of Millennium Corporation Challenge (MCC) Threshold Programme.

The US pledged to provide more assistance in addressing unexploded ordnance, supplying COVID 19 vaccines, provide medical support, reopen the Peace Corps program and look at expanding the SCALE Programme to other provinces.

The Prime Minister informed that visiting US delegation that the Solomon Islands - China Security Cooperation is not about China establishing a military base in Solomon Islands but is about supporting the state to address its internal hard and soft security threats. It is not directed at any external security interest.

The Solomon Islands - China Security Cooperation compliments other bilateral and regional security arrangement Solomon Islands is a Party to.

https://solomons.gov.sb/us-respects-solomon-islands-sovereignty/

#16155490 at 2022-04-26 10:38:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16104792
>>16133978
SOLOMON ISLANDS - UNITED STATES BILATERAL TALKS A SUCCESS: US COMMITTED TO DO MORE

Jared Koli - April 23, 2022

Solomon Islands Prime Minister the Honourable Manasseh Sogavare warmly welcomed US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo -Pacific, Kurt Campbell to Solomon Islands following a friendly and productive meeting on 22 Friday April, 2022.

The two countries reaffirmed their friendship and committed to strengthen their relations and work together on all issues of mutual concerns.

Visiting delegation leader Kurt Campbell reassures Prime Minister Sogavare that the United States is back "We will do better," and committed to do more in Solomon Islands.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare acknowledged with gratitude United States revitalized relations with Solomon Islands and welcome once again US decision to re-establish its Embassy in the country and acknowledge the recent signing of MCC Threshold Programme.

The senior White House Official added, US will provide more assistance in addressing unexploded ordnance, supplying COVID 19 vaccines, provide medical support, reopen the Peace Corps program and look at expanding the SCALE Programme to other provinces.

US is committed to ensuring the clearing of the WW2 EOD and would look into the issue of oil spill in the Iron Bottom Sound.

On the China-Solomon Islands Security Cooperation, "We have no say on the SI-China agreement. We respect Solomon Islands sovereign decision. There is no misunderstanding," stated the White House Official.

US's core concern is China establishing a military base in Solomon Islands, this will have regional security implications.

The Prime Minister responded, contrary to misinformation promoted by anti-government critics, the Solomon Islands - China Security Cooperation is not about China establishing a military base in Solomon Islands but is about supporting the state to address its internal hard and soft security threats. It is not directed at any external security interest.

The Solomon Islands - China Security Cooperation compliments other bilateral and regional security arrangement Solomon Islands is a Party to.

Prime Minister Sogavare was also acknowledged for his outstanding leadership through the many challenges facing the young nation.

The two states registered appreciation for the talks and committed their officials. to meet in September to advance identified areas of cooperation.

https://www.sibconline.com.sb/solomon-islands-united-states-bilateral-talks-a-success-us-committed-to-do-more/

#16155463 at 2022-04-26 10:30:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16104792
>>16133978
US won't speculate on response if China establishes Solomons military base

Anthony Galloway - April 26, 2022

United States President Joe Biden's top diplomat in the Pacific region has left open the door to military action if China's defence forces established a permanent presence in Solomon Islands but declined to specifically address Prime Minister Scott Morrison's "red line" warning.

Morrison said on Sunday the prospect of having a Chinese military base in Solomon Islands was a "red line". On Tuesday, he said that was simply stating the policy of the US.

The US's Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, who has just returned from a trip to Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, was pressed on Morrison's comment during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday morning (AEST).

Asked if he was comfortable with the "red line" remark and whether he would rule out the US taking military action if China established a base in Solomon Islands, Kritenbrink said he did not want to speculate on what the US response might be.

But Kritenbrink repeated his warning that the US would "respond accordingly" if Beijing established a permanent military presence in the country.

"We reiterated our respect for sovereignty of the Solomon Islands. But we also outlined the potential regional security implications of this security agreement that it has signed with the People's Republic of China," he said.

"We've outlined the specific concerns that we have regarding the potential for permanent military presence, of power projection capabilities or military installation.

"We've indicated that should those events come to pass that the United States would respond accordingly, and I think it's best if I leave it at that and not speculate on what that may or may not [be]."

Days after Solomon Islands sent shockwaves across the Pacific by signing a security co-operation pact with Beijing, the American delegation - led by White House Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell and Kritenbrink - met with members of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's government for 90 minutes.

Kritenbrink said his team told Solomons officials in a "very candid way" it would respond "very naturally" if its concerns came to pass.

The deal has dominated the federal election campaign in Australia, with Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne repeatedly questioned about why they didn't engage more with Sogavare's government leading up to its signing.

Honiara, the capital, is less than 2000 kilometres from Australia's east coast. Solomon Islands is a key strategic point in the Pacific, providing access to shipping lanes from Australia and New Zealand up through Asia.

Kritenbrink said he was particularly concerned about a lack of transparency over the agreement, the detail of which is yet to be publicly released.

"What precisely are the motivations behind the agreement? What exactly are China's objectives and the like?" he said.

"I think they're completely unclear because this agreement has not been scrutinised or viewed or subjected to any kind of consultation or approval process by anyone else.

"The lack of transparency I think is a fundamental concern."

He said the US was not in the business of making countries "choose between the United States and China" but promoting the shared interests, principles and the rule of law of the region.

"Any steps taken by countries, whether it would be China or anyone else, that run counter to those interests and principles, I think would be a fundamental concern to us and I think has some bearing on what we're dealing with here," he said.

"I'm not here to speculate on what may or may happen in the future, but I think you can rest assure that those principles will remain consistent going forward."

China has militarised three islands in the disputed South China Sea and flown hundreds of warplanes toward Taiwan's airspace over the past year.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/us-would-respond-accordingly-to-permanent-chinese-military-presence-in-solomon-diplomat-20220426-p5ag56.html

#16142910 at 2022-04-24 10:56:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16142905

2/2

Washington and Canberra are now desperately attempting to maintain their hegemony and privileges and they have been stuck in a strategic anxiety, which has been revealed in their hysterical responses to China's cooperation with the Solomon Islands. The US first demanded Australia to coax and coerce the Pacific country to step away from the pact with China. Both Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne called their counterparts in Honiara, trying to interfere with the country's diplomatic and policy-making process. Two officials of Australia's top intelligence services then flew to the Solomons, followed in close step by Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja, to pile pressure on the Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. When Canberra's blatant bullying and menacing failed to intimidate Honiara, Washington decided to intervene directly, sending the White House' National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink to the country. It's clear that the US' hegemony across the world, including in the South Pacific, is waning. The era of colonialism and white supremacy is already a disgrace in history, and it is simply in vain for countries like the US and Australia to impose their self-interest and geopolitical strategy on smaller countries.

The "Indo-Pacific Strategy" promoted by the US is aimed to contain China's development, and China's cooperation with countries in the South Pacific has come into the crosshairs. The US, assisted by its local proxy Australia, has been attempting to assemble a small anti-China clique in the region as a way to serve its own interests and goals.

The politicization and demonization of China's relations with the Pacific countries by the US and Australia will threaten the stability and prosperity of the Pacific. Countries such as the Solomon Islands are sensibly aware of their ulterior motives, and try to uphold their sovereignty and self-determination. That is why Morrison's awkward tactics in the region have proved to be a complete failure, his Pacific "Step-up" strategy is in fact a "stuff up," as described by his contesting Labor opponent Albanese.

The author is president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies and director of the Australian Studies Centre at the East China Normal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202204/1260114.shtml

#16134023 at 2022-04-23 03:08:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16133978
>>16133996
THE WHITE HOUSE

Readout of Senior Administration Travel to Hawaii, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands

APRIL 22, 2022

On April 22, a high-level U.S. delegation - led by National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Deputy Commander INDOPACOM Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka , and USAID Acting Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Craig Hart - visited Honiara, Solomon Islands. The delegation met for ninety minutes with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, along with two dozen members of his cabinet and senior staff. While there, the delegation also met with prominent religious leaders on the island and with key members of the political opposition.

This visit to Solomon Islands was the final leg of the delegation's trip across the Pacific. It followed stops in Hawaii, where the delegation met with senior officials from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand; Fiji, where they met with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, as well as leadership of the Pacific Island Forum, and held the U.S.-Fiji Strategic Dialogue; and Papua New Guinea, where they met with Prime Minister James Marape and senior defense officials to discuss ways to enhance security ties. Across these engagements, the United States reiterated that it will seek to further deepen our enduring ties with the Pacific Islands and take tangible steps to advance a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific. The United States will do so by fulfilling and strengthening its commitments in the region, working to advance regional unity, coordinating with allies and partners on meeting twenty-first century challenges, and protecting the sovereignty of Pacific Island states.

In the meeting with Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Sogavare, the delegation reiterated the key priorities animating the trip and also outlined specific steps the United States would take to advance the welfare of the people of Solomon Islands. The United States will expedite the opening of an embassy in Solomon Islands; advance cooperation on unexploded ordinance; launch a program on maritime domain awareness; dispatch the Mercy hospital ship to address public health; advance a dialogue on the return of the Peace Corps; deliver additional vaccines; and advance initiatives on climate, health, and people-to-people ties.

The United States respects the right of nations to make sovereign decisions in the best interests of their people. The two sides engaged in substantial discussion around the recently signed security agreement between Solomon Islands and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Solomon Islands representatives indicated that the agreement had solely domestic applications, but the U.S. delegation noted there are potential regional security implications of the accord, including for the United States and its allies and partners. The U.S. delegation outlined clear areas of concern with respect to the purpose, scope, and transparency of the agreement.

If steps are taken to establish a de facto permanent military presence, power-projection capabilities, or a military installation, the delegation noted that the United States would then have significant concerns and respond accordingly. In response to these enumerated concerns, Prime Minister Sogavare reiterated his specific assurances that there would be no military base, no long-term presence, and no power projection capability, as he has said publicly. The United States emphasized that it will follow developments closely in consultation with regional partners.

At this critical juncture, the United States and Solomon Islands agreed to launch a high-level strategic dialogue, co-chaired on the U.S. side by the White House and the Department of State. Its purpose will be to enhance communication, address mutual concerns, and drive practical progress. In particular, both sides agreed to discuss in greater detail security issues of mutual concern, economic and social development, public health, and finance and debt. Each side committed to take the necessary steps in the intervening period to prepare for a successful engagement.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/22/readout-of-senior-administration-travel-to-hawaii-fiji-papua-new-guinea-and-solomon-islands/

#16133996 at 2022-04-23 03:05:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16128484
US warns against allowing Chinese military base in Solomon Islands, promises to fast-track reopening an embassy

Jade Macmillan - 23 April 2022

One of Joe Biden's top advisers has urged Solomon Islands not to allow a Chinese military base in the country, warning the United States would "respond accordingly" to any steps in that direction.

The White House is also promising to bring forward the re-establishment of a US embassy in Honiara and to provide the country with more medical aid.

It comes as a former senior American diplomat criticised the decision to close the embassy almost 30 years ago, suggesting the US had sought to "outsource" its relationships in the region.

This week's visit to Honiara by senior US officials including the Indo-Pacific coordinator of the National Security Council, Kurt Campbell, came too late to prevent the signing of a security pact between Solomon Islands and China.

Both the US and Australia are worried the deal could lead to Beijing establishing a base less than 2,000 kilometres off the Queensland coast, despite assurances from Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare this would not happen.

A White House summary of the trip said the US delegation used a 90-minute meeting with Mr Sogavare and two dozen members of his cabinet to raise concerns about the "potential regional security implications" of the deal.

"The US delegation outlined clear areas of concern with respect to the purpose, scope, and transparency of the agreement," the statement said.

"If steps are taken to establish a de facto permanent military presence, power-projection capabilities, or a military installation, the delegation noted that the United States would then have significant concerns and [would] respond accordingly."

The White House said it would expedite the opening of a US embassy in Solomon Islands and provide more assistance in areas such as unexploded ordnance, vaccines and medical support.

Referring to a "critical juncture", it said the two countries had also agreed to a high-level strategic dialogue to discuss "security issues of mutual concern" in more detail.

'You can't treat a country with neglect': Carouso says closing US embassy was a mistake

The signing of the security pact raised alarm in both Washington and Canberra and has become a source of heated debate during Australia's federal election campaign.

It has also raised questions as to whether the US had failed by outsourcing its regional policy-making to Australia.

"We haven't had an embassy [in Solomon Islands] for a very long time. And that, I think, in itself, speaks volumes," said James Carouso, a former acting US ambassador to Australia.

"You can't treat a country with neglect, or outsource your relationships, certainly not if you want to be an influence in the region, without having [a] presence on the ground.

"So, yeah, that was, I think, a mistake for the United States over a long time."

Mr Carouso - who is now the Australia chair for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies - said the West's fear was that China would establish a military base in Solomon Islands to cut Australia off from the US "if worst came to worst".

He said it was now up to the US and Australia to ensure the pact was not "abused" by China.

"This is going to be a multi-act play and this is act one," he said.

"So, I think - for Australia, United States, Japan, the other Western democracies, the other Pacific Island nations - they should try and work with the Solomons to make sure act two is peaceful, and protects Solomon Islands' sovereignty and protects the sovereignty and freedom of decision of other island states in the region."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-23/us-warns-solomon-islands-against-allowing-china-military-base/101010660

#16133978 at 2022-04-23 03:02:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16128484
US warns Solomon Islands over China pact; will fast track new embassy

Farrah Tomazin - April 23, 2022

Washington: The US will expedite the opening of an embassy in the Solomon Islands and has warned the Pacific nation that it will "respond accordingly" if steps are taken allowing China to establish a military base there.

Days after the Solomon Islands sent shock waves across the Pacific by signing a security cooperation pact with Beijing, a high-level US delegation - led by National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator, Kurt Campbell, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink - met with members of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's government for 90 minutes on Friday to discuss their concerns.

American officials told Sogavare and members of his cabinet that while the US "respected the rights of nations to make sovereign decisions in the best interest of their people", the pact between the Solomon Islands and the People's Republic of China had security risks for the region, as well as the US, Australia and its allied partners.

"The US delegation outlined clear areas of concern with respect to the purpose, scope, and transparency of the agreement," the White House said in a statement on Saturday (AEST).

"If steps are taken to establish a de facto permanent military presence, power-projection capabilities, or a military installation, the delegation noted that the US would then have significant concerns and respond accordingly.

"In response to these enumerated concerns, Prime Minister Sogavare reiterated his specific assurances that there would be no military base, no long-term presence, and no power projection capability, as he has said publicly."

The pact with Beijing was signed by the Solomon Islands despite growing pressure from Australia and the US, two of its traditional allies, to reject the deal as they sought to counter China's growing influence in the region.

It is feared the agreement could pave the way for Chinese naval vessels and troops based less than 2000 kilometres off the Australian east coast and cut off vital supply lines to the US and Asia in the event of a conflict.

According to the White House, Solomon Islands representatives at the meeting "indicated that the agreement had solely domestic implications".

However, noting that this was "a critical juncture" for the region, the US will expedite the opening of an embassy in the country, 29 years after America downgraded its diplomatic presence in Honiara. It will also launch a high-level strategic dialogue through the White House and the Department of State.

"Its purpose will be to enhance communication, address mutual concerns, and drive practical progress" the White House said. "In particular, both sides agreed to discuss in greater detail security issues of mutual concern, economic and social development, public health, and finance and debt."

The US delegation also included Deputy Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka, and USAID Acting Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, Craig Hart.

The visit was the final leg of a broader trip across the Pacific, which included stops in Hawaii, where the delegation met with senior officials from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand; as well as Fiji, where they met with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

The US has had concerns about China's rise in the region for months: in January this year, for instance, Campbell told a panel that the South Pacific was the place where he most expected to see some kind of "strategic surprise" whether it be in the form of a base or a security agreement.

But the trip comes amid some concerns in Washington that the US has been distracted on other global challenges - namely Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine - that it has outsourced regional policy in the Pacific to Australia.

However, Australia's approach has also come under fire for being too slow, despite knowing for months that a threat was imminent.

The failure to act fast enough now puts national and regional security at the heart of the Australia's federal election campaign, with Labor leader Anthony Albanese describing it "one of the greatest policy failures that we've seen from this government".

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/us-warns-solomon-islands-over-china-pact-will-fast-track-new-embassy-20220423-p5afjn.html

#16128484 at 2022-04-22 14:15:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16127726
US diplomats give warning to Solomon Islands over China bases

BEN PACKHAM - APRIL 22, 2022

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Two of Joe Biden's top diplomats have urged Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to resist Chinese pressure to establish a military base in his country, just hours after the ?Pacific leader provocatively ?declared he was "on the right side of history" in forging closer ties with Beijing.

White House Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell and ?Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, met behind closed doors with Mr Sogavare in Honiara for about 90 minutes on ?Friday, warning that his newly signed security agreement with China risked destabilising the ?region.

The American delegation, which included senior Pentagon and USAID officials, said the Solomon Islands had more to gain from US engagement, which would deliver "prosperity, peace (and) security" benefits.

The meeting came amid ongoing recriminations in Australia over the security pact, with Scott Morrison and Labor defending their records in engaging with ?Pacific leaders.

Opening a Chinese-funded sporting centre, Mr Sogavare said the Solomon Islands' relationship with Beijing was grounded on "trust, respect and a genuine ?desire to achieve long-term sustainable development outcomes for our small nation".

He said he had forged diplomatic ties with China three years ago "for very, very good reasons".

"We placed the country on the right side of history, and here we are," he said.

Mr Sogavare was flanked at the ceremony by Chinese ?ambassador Li Ming, who said the countries' security agreement would help Solomon Islands achieve economic growth, and urged other nations to accept the agreement.

"I sincerely hope the sovereignty and security interests of Solomon Islands and China will be duly respected," Mr Li said.

"The Pacific region should ?become a stage for international co-operation, not geopolitical competition."

Mr Li said development and security were "two sides of the same coin".

"Without safety and security, countries cannot enjoy sustainable development and economic growth," he said.

Mr Sogavare has insisted he won't allow China to establish a military base in Solomon Islands, but Australian and US officials fear he will struggle to push back against Beijing now the security deal is in place.

Tokyo is also concerned about the agreement, with Japanese media reporting the country's Vice-Foreign Minister, Shingo Miyake, will visit Honiara in early May for talks with Mr Sogavare.

(continued)

#16128346 at 2022-04-22 13:52:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16104792
THE WHITE HOUSE

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on U.S. Consultations with Australia, Japan, and New Zealand in Honolulu

APRIL 19, 2022

On April 18, National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink convened a meeting in Honolulu with U.S. Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and senior officials from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand on developments in the Pacific Islands. In Honolulu, the officials reaffirmed the four countries' enduring and shared commitment to the Pacific Islands. The United States resolved to intensify its engagement in the region to meet 21st-century challenges, from maritime security and economic development to the climate crisis and COVID-19. We will do this in ever-closer partnership with Pacific Island nations, including through a united Pacific Islands Forum; and together with like-minded countries, within and beyond the region, including in Europe. Officials from the four countries represented also shared concerns about a proposed security framework between the Solomon Islands and the People's Republic of China (PRC) and its serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The meeting was part of regular and extensive U.S. consultations with allies and partners on the Indo-Pacific and is part of the announced senior administration travel this week to Hawaii, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/19/statement-by-nsc-spokesperson-adrienne-watson-on-u-s-consultations-with-australia-japan-and-new-zealand-in-honolulu/

#16127726 at 2022-04-22 11:21:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16104788
Manasseh Sogavare says Solomon Islands' China ties put it 'on the right side of history'

BEN PACKHAM - APRIL 22, 2022

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has provocatively declared his country's relationship with China has put it "on the right side of history" and is grounded on respect and trust, in comments just hours before meeting two of Joe Biden's top diplomats.

Mr Sogavare opened new Chinese-funded sports facilities in Honiara, constructed for the 2023 Pacific Games, saying the country switched its diplomatic relationship from Taiwan to China in 2019, "for very, very good reasons".

"We placed the country on the right side of history, and here we are," he said.

"This is the first fruit of our relationship with the People's Republic of China that is less than three years old since our establishment of relations.

The comments came ahead of his scheduled meeting in Honiara with two of Joe Biden's top diplomats - National Security Council Indo-Pacific Co-ordinator Kurt Campbell and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink.

Their delegation, which also includes Pentagon and USAID representatives, will raise directly with Mr Sogavare the United States' objections to the Solomon Islands' new security pact with China.

Mr Sogavare was flanked at the ceremony by Chinese Ambassador Li Ming, who said the countries' security agreement would help Solomon Islands achieve economic growth, and urged other nations to accept the agreement.

"I sincerely hope the sovereignty and security interests of Solomon Islands and China will be duly respected," he said.

"The Pacific region should become a stage for international co-operation, not geopolitical competition."

Mr Li said development and security were "two sides of the same coin".

"Without safety and security, countries cannot enjoy sustainable development and economic growth," he said.

The fallout from the Solomon Islands-China security agreement continued to reverberate through the Australian election campaign, with Scott Morrison defending his government's record in the Pacific.

The Prime Minister said he he'd had "over 100" engagements with Pacific island leaders, and argued that diplomacy was not as simple as "picking up the phone" or sending a minister overseas.

"It's not that easy. I think that analysis which would suggest that's all that was required was simplistic and doesn't understand the complex nature of the forces at play here, or the way the Chinese government operates within our region."

He attacked Labor's Deputy Leader over comments he made on a trip to Beijing in 2019, acknowledging Chinese development support for the Pacific had "been a good thing", and it was "silly" to expect Pacific nations not to engage with China.

Mr Morrison said: "I find it outrageous that Labor would criticise us when their own Deputy Leader was actually advocating what the Chinese government has been seeking to do in our region."

Earlier, Labor's campaign spokesman Jason Clare attacked the Morrison government for failing to prevent the agreement, describing the outcome as an "epic fail".

He cited Solomon Islands Opposition Leader Matthew Wale's statement that he warned the government of the likelihood of such an agreement as far back as August.

"This has happened on Scott Morrison's watch," Mr Clare said.

"They had the intel and they didn't act. We knew about this in August. And what did we do?

"As a result, this security agreement has now been signed between China and the Solomon Islands."

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US was closely monitoring the fallout from the agreement, but said the US remained committed to its partnership with Solomon Islands.

"The signing of the agreement does not change our concerns and that of our regional partners and allies. And it does not change our commitment to a strong relationship with the region and to strengthening our ties with the Solomon Islands and its Pacific Island neighbours," he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/manasseh-sogavare-says-solomon-islands-china-ties-put-it-on-the-right-side-of-history/news-story/56aeedac414a70fd5d598ba051002443

#16119130 at 2022-04-21 08:47:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16119127

2/2

China's unprecedented build-up around the globe

A common theme among security analysts is that we're going to have to get used to Chinese warships patrolling what was long viewed by Australians as "our patch".

China's military is building naval ships at unprecedented speed for peacetime.

It's all part of President Xi Jinping's "great rejuvenation" goal to restore China as a leading - if not the leading - power on Earth.

Already the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has surpassed the US for the largest fleet in the world.

A US Congressional Research Service report last month estimated China now has 355 battle-force "platforms" including aircraft carriers, surface combat ships, submarines and mine-warfare ships.

The speed of ship-building goes well beyond the needs of China's immediate coastal areas and its various territorial disputes.

"The PLAN's overall battle force is expected to grow to 420 ships by 2025 and 460 ships by 2030," the report said, noting America's deployment of greater resources to the Pacific in response.

A military base established in the Horn of Africa in 2016, officially to help anti-piracy operations, broke Beijing's long-held aversion to bases on foreign soil.

"Non-interference" remained China's mantra, a contrast to America's foreign policy.

But it was now "non-interference by invitation".

Another deal with Cambodia in 2019 to give China's military access to a Gulf of Tonkin naval facility, despite official denials, further set the direction.

A rough few weeks for American efforts to counter China

US dominance has long relied on bases and military access agreements abroad, so it's little surprise that China now appears to be using a similar playbook.

The change has been accompanied by increasing official rhetoric about the need to protect China's economic and infrastructure interests abroad.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's Cold War-style obsession with the United States is feeding into the timing of the Solomons deal.

With Xi's officials and state media now blaming the US for everything from Russia's war In Ukraine to the origins of the coronavirus, it appears Beijing announced the security pact this week to pre-empt a visit to Honiara by the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell.

Just three weeks ago, Xi's military signed yet another secretive army agreement with Cambodia, despite American efforts to persuade Cambodia's government against it.

While America's military is locking in more closely with Australia through deals like AUKUS, it's been a rough few weeks for Washington's efforts to counter China's growing sway.

But the contest for power and influence between the two giants is still only warming up, and none of Australia's South Pacific neighbours can avoid being swept up in it.

The Solomons deal might be the wake-up call Australians need to understand how fast the region is changing.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-21/china-in-the-solomon-islands-as-it-expands-into-south-pacific/101001458

#16111273 at 2022-04-20 09:54:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16104792
Time for the US to Step Up in Solomon Islands

Washington must start to shape its own policy on the Solomons, otherwise Campbell's trip is a fool's errand.

Anne-Marie Brady - April 19, 2022

1/2

The U.S. National Security Council's Indo-Pacific coordinator, Kurt Campbell, will visit Solomon Islands this week, in a last-ditch effort to prevent the Sogavare government's new security agreement with China, which could lead to the People's Liberation Army's first base in the Pacific Islands. The agreement has been initialed, and is only waiting for the Solomon and Chinese foreign ministers to sign for it to take effect.

(Update: Shortly after this article was published, China made the announcement that the deal had been signed by both foreign ministers.)

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-officials-travel-solomon-islands-sign-agreements-parliament-told-2022-04-19/

In January 2022, Campbell told a panel discussion that the South Pacific was the region where he most expected to see some kind of strategic surprise, whether a base or a security agreement. Campbell wasn't as prescient as you might think; both the Australian and New Zealand governments have been raising this fear for the last few years. In August 2021, Matthew Wale, leader of the opposition in the Solomon Islands, even warned Australia of specific plans underway.

Yet even this level of information was not heeded. That's because U.S. policy on the Solomons and the wider Southwest Pacific region has a fatal flaw. Distracted by other global challenges, the U.S. government has outsourced its regional policymaking to Australia. And Australia's approach, which concentrates power on the Solomons' central government, has been a contributing factor in this looming geopolitical disaster. It's time for the United States to shape its own policy on Solomon Islands, otherwise Campbell's trip is a fool's errand.

There are a number of new policy approaches Washington could try in dealing with the Solomon Islands. First of all, Campbell can call Sogavare's bluff that the security agreement with China is aimed at diversifying the Solomons' security relations, and offer a U.S.-Solomon Islands security agreement. Sogavare has said he is seeking security agreements with Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG), in addition to an existing one with Australia. Honiara is well on the way to becoming the Djibouti of the Pacific.

It's for this very reason that Pacific leaders are quietly horrified by Sogavare's agreement with China. They say they felt "blindsided" by his secret deal. It has dragged Solomon Islands and the Pacific into the China-U.S. military rivalry, in the same way it was once the site for crucial Japan-U.S. battles in World War II. Governments may change, but geography does not. The Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Palau, Tonga, and PNG have all publicly raised concerns with Sogavare, so far to no avail.

Under the new agreement, China can send military personnel, intelligence and information support, police, and other armed personnel to the Solomons. Yet Solomon Islands faces no external security threat that justifies this level of military and intelligence presence. Sogavare wants the PLA and Chinese police forces on hand to suppress his domestic rivals. The China-Solomons security agreement thus poses a great risk to Solomon Islands' fragile, but vibrant democracy.

For this reason, Campbell should be sure to meet with opposition MPs during his stay in Honiara. This is quite usual for visiting dignitaries arriving in a democracy. Solomon Islands is soon to hold a national election. Sogavare is deeply unpopular, and the United States must make sure it is on good terms with all political forces in the Solomons.

(continued)

#16111262 at 2022-04-20 09:44:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16111259

2/2

Solomon Islands PM speaks in parliament

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare took to the floor of parliament this morning to defend the pact, declaring that his government went into the agreement with its "eyes wide open".

Mr Sogavare also suggested the agreement would help bolster the police force in Solomon Islands, which has already received riot gear and replica guns from Chinese police.

"We intend to beef up and strengthen our police capability to deal with any future instability by properly equipping the police to take full responsibility of the country's security responsibilities, in the hope we will never be required to invoke any of our bilateral security arrangements," he said.

When asked if he'd be willing to release the full text of the agreement he gave an ambiguous response, saying it was the "way to go" but also saying he had to consult with China before making a decision.

Beijing typically does not release the text of its bilateral security agreements with other countries.

In a statement, Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, said the US convened a meeting with senior officials from Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

"The officials reaffirmed the four countries' enduring and shared commitment to the Pacific Islands," she said.

"The United States resolved to intensify its engagement in the region to meet 21st-century challenges.

"Officials from the four countries represented also shared concerns about a proposed security framework between the Solomon Islands and the People's Republic of China and its serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

'Pacific family' best placed for security

Foreign Minister Marise Payne rejected Senator Wong's assessment that inaction by the Morrison government had fuelled the situation.

"I think that's an unfair characterisation, and I don't think it recognises the sovereign decisions that governments, of course, make for themselves," she said.

"We are looking at very serious geo-strategic challenges in our region, and they are realities."

Senator Payne insisted that Australia still played a significant role in the South Pacific.

"We firmly believe that the Pacific family is best placed to meet the security needs of our region - and we've consistently said that and, more importantly, we've consistently demonstrated that," Senator Payne said.

However, she argued, the governments in Honiara and Beijing needed to provide more detail about exactly what the security deal would allow for.

"In relation to this agreement, we see a lack of transparency" she said.

"This has not been agreed in an open and transparent way, not been consulted, for example, across the region."

Top US official Kurt Campbell is slated to visit Solomon Islands later this week, as the United States warned of the "concerning precedent" the security deal set.

Senator Payne said she was pleased the trip was going ahead, but avoided speculation about whether the deal could be undone.

"That's a matter for the parties," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-20/solomon-islands-china-pact-failure-foreign-policy-labor/101000878

#16111197 at 2022-04-20 09:10:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16111196

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Labor's foreign ministry spokeswoman Penny Wong said the security agreement was the worst "Australian foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of World War II".

"This is our region, it goes directly to Australia's national security and [Morrison] should have taken responsibility," she said.

Morrison said the claim that Solomon Islands was somehow under the control of Australia was offensive.

"They are a sovereign nation," he said last week. "I respect their independence, and they will make their own decisions about their own sovereignty."

Solomons says it needs the extra security

Sogavare, who is serving as Solomons Prime Minister for the fourth time and survived a no-confidence motion in December, has refused to say when the final text of the deal would be publicly released.

His government has denied claims by Solomons Opposition Leader Matthew Wale that China paid MPs $30,000 each to vote against the no-confidence motion.

He said extra security was necessary after anti-government riots in 2019 and 2021. "The capital was looted, with properties and lives lost," he said. "We intend to beef up and strengthen our police capability and capacity to deal with any future instability."

He quoted China's foreign policy stance as "friends to all, enemies to none", saying the Solomons was committed to the principle of "non-interference in the domestic affairs of another member state" - a foreign policy mantra inserted by China into its treaties around the world.

"The signing of the security co-operation with China is done in the best interest of the country," Sogavare said. "It both complements original and bilateral peacekeeping arrangements with respect to the original security partners that we collectively trust to maintain peace and stability of the region."

Liberal MP Phillip Thompson, who served with the Australian 1st Battalion in the Pacific, accused Honiara of a cash grab.

"We've always been the big brother of the Pacific with all Pacific nations. We spent a lot of time in the Pacific, in Tonga, the Solomon Islands. We do a lot as soldiers do, and we help out the communities there," he told the ABC on Wednesday.

"This is what I believe to be a clear kind of money grab from the Solomon Islands."

The draft agreement released last month contained clauses that could allow China to request its navy ships be allowed to dock and refuel less than 2000 kilometres off the Australian coast.

A Chinese security presence in the region would drain Australian navy resources and threaten shipping lanes from the east coast of Australia to Asia in the event of a conflict.

US slams 'serious risks' to the Pacific

Sogavare has maintained he would not allow China to establish a navy base in the country, but those assurances have not been enough for the White House. US Indo-Pacific chief Kurt Campbell is due to arrive in Honiara in the next two days. The announcement that the deal has been signed now appears to have scuttled any last-minute push to overturn the agreement.

Campbell met on Wednesday in Hawaii with US Navy Admiral John Aquilino and senior officials from Australia, Japan and New Zealand, where officials slammed the pact for "its serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific".

His visit was intended to be the final part of a month-long campaign from Australian, US and New Zealand intelligence and national security services to warn Honiara against the deal. Sogavare dismissed the claims as "nonsense".

China's foreign policy spokesman Wang Wenbin hit back at Campbell's trip, saying: "We must point out that South Pacific island countries are not a backyard of any country, still less a pawn for geopolitical rivalry."

"Pacific Island countries have the actual need for diversifying their external cooperation and the right to choose their cooperative partners," he said. "Deliberately hyping up tensions and provoking confrontational blocs wins no support and attempts to obstruct cooperation with China is doomed to fail."

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-says-he-would-go-to-solomons-as-defiant-pacific-leader-inks-china-deal-20220420-p5aep9.html

#16111180 at 2022-04-20 08:55:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16104792
US' high-level visit to Solomon Islands aims to nullify China security pact, uses region as hegemonic fulcrum

Xu Keyue, Shan Jie and Bai Yunyi - Apr 19, 2022

1/2

After Australia failed to sway the Solomon Islands to thwart the security agreement with China, senior US officials plan to travel to the country this week in an attempt to nullify the already signed security pact, which will be a rare high-level visit with pressure by the superpower.

White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell and the State Department's top official for Asia will travel to the Solomon Islands, the White House said on Monday, amid "concerns" that the Pacific island country is making a security pact with China, according to Reuters.

Observers pointed out that the "concerns" expressed by the US and Australia over the security pact showed that they use the South Pacific region as an "arena" for competition with China and try to contain China's peaceful development. They predict that the US and Australia may increase military cooperation and civilian investment in the Solomon Islands and other South Pacific countries to counter China's rising influence, but history shows that US promises are often hard to deliver and such cooperation rarely delivers real benefits to ordinary people.

Campbell's visit comes after Washington has warned the Solomon Islands several times over the security pact with China, and Australia made several threats under the name of "concern" and sent senior officials to the island nations.

Yang Honglian, senior researcher of the Pacific Islands Research Center at the Liaocheng University, based in Fiji, told the Global Times that in the US' and its follower Australia's Cold War mentality, South Pacific countries have always been, and must be, their "backyard."

They believe that controlling the island nations through military deployment can maintain their influence in the region, so they speculated China would also take the same step even if China does not have any military activity in the region. They have been hyping a "possibility" and "sense of urgency," trying to guide the local sentiment to be more wary of China, Yang said.

China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele officially signed a framework agreement on security cooperation between the two countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

"The US Embassy in Solomon Islands has been closed for 29 years. The most recent visit to Fiji made by a US Secretary of State was 37 years ago. Several senior US officials now fancy a visit to some Pacific Island Countries (PICs) all of a sudden after all these years. Are they doing so out of care for PICs or do they have ulterior motives? " asked Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday.

"Sensationalizing an atmosphere of tension and stoking bloc confrontation will get no support in the region. Attempts to meddle with and obstruct PICs' cooperation with China will be in vain," Wang noted. Rather than becoming someone's backyard or pawn in a geopolitical confrontation, Pacific island countries need diversified external cooperation and the free choice of their cooperation partners, Wang stressed.

(continued)

#16104804 at 2022-04-19 10:13:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16104792
China says it signs security pact with Solomon Islands

Kirsty Needham and Martin Quin Pollard - April 19, 2022

SYDNEY/BEIJING, April 19 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, a move set to heighten the concerns of the United States and allies Australia and New Zealand about growing Chinese influence in a region traditionally under their sway.

The framework pact was recently signed by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Manele, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing.

He did not give details of where, or precisely when, the signing took place.

Canberra is concerned that the pact, details of which have not been made public, could be a step towards a Chinese military presence less than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Australia.

Earlier on Tuesday the Pacific islands nation was told that China would send officials to the Solomons next month to sign cooperation pacts.

Although the Chinese embassy and Solomon Islands officials had previously initialled a security pact that would allow Chinese police to protect infrastructure and social order, ministers had not yet signed it.

Last week, Zed Seselja, Australia's minister for international development and the Pacific, visited Honiara to ask Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare not to sign the framework pact.

On Monday, the White House said a high-level U.S. delegation including Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell would also travel to Honiara this week to discuss concerns about China, as well as the reopening of a U.S. embassy.

"Deliberate attempts to inflate tensions and mobilise rival camps are also doomed to fail," Wang, the Chinese spokesman, said on Tuesday, when asked about the U.S. officials' scheduled visit.

Honiara's parliament was told by Douglas Ete, chairman of the public accounts committee and lawmaker for East Honiara, that Chinese foreign ministry officials would arrive next month.

"The PRC foreign affairs is heading to Honiara in the middle of May to sign multilateral agreements and cooperations with the Solomon Islands government," he said, referring to China.

Ete said the visit meant the two nations would increase cooperation on trade, education and fisheries, but added that he rejected the idea of the Solomons signing a security pact with China to set up a military base.

Sogavare told parliament the proposed security agreement would not include a Chinese military base. His office said it could not confirm which Chinese officials would visit Honiara.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-officials-travel-solomon-islands-sign-agreements-parliament-told-2022-04-19/

#16104792 at 2022-04-19 10:06:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16104788
China and Solomon Islands sign security pact, Beijing says it is 'not directed at any third party' amid Pacific influence fears

abc.net.au - 19 April 2022

China and Solomon Islands have signed a framework agreement on security cooperation - a deal Australia, New Zealand and the US fear could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the South Pacific.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced the agreement in Beijing, saying it would involve China cooperating with Honiara on maintaining social order, protecting people's safety, aid, combating natural disasters and helping safeguard national security.

Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs Minister Jeremiah Manele confirmed the signing of the pact to the ABC in a text message.

He said Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare would make a formal announcement in the coming days.

The announcement comes just days after Australia's Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja travelled to Honiara and met the country's Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in a last-ditch effort to dissuade him from going ahead with the China security deal.

Mr Wang said the cooperation would be transparent and would not target any third party.

"The purpose of China-Solomon security cooperation is to promote social stability and long-term peace and security in Solomon Islands, which is in line with the common interests of Solomon Islands and the South Pacific region," he told a briefing on Tuesday.

"China-Solomon Islands security cooperation is public, transparent, open and inclusive, not directed at any third party, and is parallel to and complementary to the existing bilateral and multilateral security cooperation mechanisms in Solomon Islands.

"China is willing to work with the countries concerned to give full play to their respective advantages and form international synergies."

Earlier on Tuesday, the Solomon Islands parliament was told China would send officials to the Pacific nation next month to sign cooperation agreements.

"The PRC foreign affairs is heading to Honiara in the middle of May to sign multilateral agreements and cooperations with the Solomon Islands government," Douglas Ete, chairman of the public accounts committee, said.

The US said on Monday that a high-level delegation, including White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell, would also travel to Honiara to discuss concerns over China, as well as the reopening of a US embassy.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-19/china-and-solomon-islands-sign-security-pact-says-chinese-foreig/101000530

#16104788 at 2022-04-19 10:02:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
US warns that China's soldiers could be stationed in Solomons

Eryk Bagshaw - April 19, 2022

The United States has warned Solomon Islands that China's soldiers could be stationed in the Pacific nation if it signs a security deal with Beijing.

In its first public intervention in the geopolitical rift that is dominating the region, Washington urged Solomons to remember that Australia led the multinational peacekeeping force that restored order after riots in Honiara in November and suggested China's presence would destabilise an already volatile situation.

The Biden administration's Indo-Pacific chief Kurt Campbell flies into Honiara this week to communicate America's concerns, after protests from Australia and New Zealand to ditch the draft agreement were dismissed by the Solomons' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare as "nonsense".

US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Tuesday said that assurances from Sogavare that there would be no Chinese naval bases had not convinced the US that the deal was in the region's best interests.

"Despite the Solomon Islands government's comments, the broad nature of the security agreement leaves open the door for the deployment of [People's Republic of China] military forces to the Solomon Islands," said Price.

"We believe that signing such an agreement could increase destabilisation within Solomon Islands and will set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region."

The Solomons lies less than 2000 kilometres from Australia's east coast and is on a key shipping route between Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United States. The country has been beset by poverty, corruption and poor infrastructure, pushing its leaders closer to promises of Chinese investment. Beijing has requested it be allowed to protect those investments by force if necessary through a security agreement in exchange for economic cooperation.

Australian officials have been quietly frustrated by the lack of public diplomacy from Washington as they attempted to convince Sogavare to pull out of the deal while respecting Solomons sovereignty. That position came to a head last week when Pacific Minster Zed Seselja explicitly asked Sogavare not to sign the deal in a meeting in Honiara.

"Australia will continue supporting peace, prosperity, stability and our shared democratic values in Solomon Islands and across the region," Seselja said last week.

China has been elevated alongside Australia as Solomons' top strategic partner after the Pacific nation switched its diplomatic allegiance to Beijing from Taiwan three years ago.

Price said Campbell intended to "share perspectives, to share interests, to share concerns" while in Honiara but did not say when he would arrive.

Campbell, who along with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is in charge of China policy in the White House, will also visit Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Australian officials have been specifically concerned about what precedent the Solomons deal could set for PNG, Australia's closest neighbour and another key target of Chinese investment in the region. PNG Prime Minister James Marape in February signed an agreement with China's President Xi Jinping at the Winter Olympics that opposed "other countries' interference in their internal affairs under the pretext of democracy and human rights".

Australia is spending $580 million on upgrading six ports across PNG - including turning one into a regional container hub for the Pacific - in an attempt to counter-bid China's investment in mining and infrastructure. At the same time, PNG has agreed to supply more LNG to China, hitting some of Australia's exports to Beijing.

Price said Fiji, PNG, and Solomon Islands were important partners to the United States.

"It's precisely why the Secretary met with the Pacific Islands Forum earlier this year when we were in the region," he said.

Price said Campbell would outline what the United States can bring to the region as Washington pushes ahead with plans to establish its first embassy in Honiara.

"We'll leave it to them to contrast what we offer from what other countries, including rather large countries in the region, might offer," he said.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/us-warns-that-china-s-soldiers-could-be-stationed-in-solomons-20220419-p5aeib.html

#16092209 at 2022-04-17 12:33:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
China not a big concern: Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John

BEN PACKHAM - APRIL 17, 2022

The Greens say China doesn't pose a threat to Australia and the party has no problem with Solomon Islands' decision to forge a ?security partnership with Beijing.

Greens' peace and disarmament spokesman Jordon Steele-John said Australia's concern over the Solomons-China agreement was "paternalistic and actually racist", and that the future of ?Taiwan was not a direct concern for Australia or the US.

As Labor attempts to neutralise national security as an election issue by matching the Coalition's defence commitments, the Greens have called for military spending to be slashed and the AUKUS agreement cancelled.

The party wants the nation's nuclear submarine and hypersonic missile programs to be axed, Pine Gap closed and US marines out of Darwin.

"I don't see China as a military threat to Australia," he told The Australian.

Senator Steele-John said Labor and the Coalition were "happy to see Australia treated as an American aircraft carrier", ratcheting up tensions with Beijing.

"The Greens absolutely oppose this. We must have an independent foreign and defence policy, which allows us to work with our neighbours to de-escalate," he said.

The senator said Australia should also butt out of the affairs of Pacific states, arguing they should be free to "defend their territorial boundaries and build relationships" as they saw fit.

Australian and US officials fear the Solomon Islands-China ?security pact will allow Chinese naval patrols to operate from the country, and open the way for the establishment of a permanent Chinese base 2000km off Australia's northeast coast.

Senator Steele-John said the West's objection to the agreement stood in stark contrast to its support for Ukraine's ability to forge its own security alliances.

"Solomon Islands is a sovereign country that is seeking to build relationships with its ?regional neighbours as best it can and it is making those decisions as a sovereign country should," he said.

"We absolutely support the right of Solomon Islands to do that. The Greens see it as a double standard that is both paternalistic and actually racist. It is a racist, paternalistic double standard that needs to be called out."

His comments come ahead of a trip to the Solomons by US President Joe Biden's Indo-?Pacific security tsar Kurt Campbell to warn its Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, that the proposed deal with China threatens his nation's sovereignty.

Senator Steele-John said the Greens were "deeply concerned about authoritarianism" and "deeply concerned about human rights violations wherever they exist".

While the Greens supported Taiwan's right to independence, he said the West should not become militarily involved in defending the territory from forced "reunification" with China.

"What we have when we look at the South China Sea, when we look at the relationship between China and Taiwan, is actually a bunch of dynamics between ?nations which are best resolved by those nations themselves," Senator Steele-John said. "They don't actually need Australia and the US continually inserting ourselves into these conversations."

Under the Greens' "peace, disarmament and demilitarisation" policy, defence spending would be reduced from about 2 per cent of GDP to 1.5 per cent.

Less than a fortnight after Australia agreed to fast-track ?hypersonic missiles development with the US and Britain to match Chinese and Russian capabilities, Senator Steele-John said the weapons could lead to "the ?destruction of the world".

He said the Greens would "lead the international community in the process of banning this technology, as we have with cluster bombs and mines".

Under longstanding Greens policy, the ANZUS alliance would be renegotiated to "free us up to act independently in relation to our diplomatic relationships with other countries".

He said Australia's relationship with the US would have key "red lines", including "the ?removal of all foreign bases and foreign troops from Australian soil".

Senator Steele-John said climate change and the existence of nuclear weapons were "the two greatest threats to global peace and security", and the Greens would continue to campaign heavily to address both threats.

Labor's deputy leader, Richard Marles, said the planned Solomons-China agreement was a failure of Australian policy, ?arguing the government had been "asleep at the wheel" in maintaining key Pacific relationships.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/china-not-a-big-concern-greens/news-story/02ce29cd3e3397d7fbf2367d040ba16f

#16092085 at 2022-04-17 11:55:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
White House finally awakens to PRC capture of Solomon Islands

Cleo Paskal - April 16, 2022

1/3

Alexandria, VA.: Within days, Kurt Campbell, the US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, and Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will visit Solomon Islands, a country of around 700,000 people, in the Southwestern Pacific. It will be one of the highest level American visits to Solomons, since 80 years ago, this August, US Marines landed on Guadalcanal.

This time, the Americans are hoping to dislodge an expansionist Asian power that embedded itself through political warfare, rather than through kinetic warfare. Though the kinetic threat is lurking in the background.

The intensity and urgency of the visit was shaped by the leaking of a draft security agreement between China and Solomon Islands that has the potential to give the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) yet another "base in everything but name", as they have with Gwadar, and are trying to secure in Sri Lanka, Equatorial Guinea and elsewhere.

Add this to declared bases in Djibouti and the South Sea China-both locations China initially promised not to militarize-and it's easy to see why there is concern across the Indo-Pacific about the agreement.

Additionally, with Chinese political warfare gains in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, and growing but quiet positioning in Bougainville and New Caledonia, the PLA is essentially putting pieces in place to create its own version of a first island chain to hem in and isolate Quad/Aukus/Five Eyes member Australia.

For the US to succeed in its mission of giving Solomon Islands a path to the future that doesn't involve it becoming another piece in the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) global game of Go, it helps to learn from what worked in the past, and to understand and avoid previous mistakes.

WHAT WORKS

During the brutal battles in Solomons during World War II, the knowledge, support and sacrifice of Solomon Islanders, who were ready to fight and die for their own sovereignty, was essential. That spirit is still there. Across the country key components of Solomon Islands society have come out against the deal.

To understand why, it helps to think of this not as a security deal between China and Solomon Islands, but between the Chinese Communist Party and the deeply unpopular and corrupt Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. The provisions in the draft deal for China to provide assistance in "maintaining social order" are seen as Sogavare being able to call on the PLA to suppress anyone who stands in his-or his CCP patron's-way.

A main target is the country's most populous province, Malaita. When Sogavare unilaterally switched Solomons from Taiwan to China in 2019, the Government of Malaita and the Malaita High Council of Chiefs issued the Auki Communiqu?. In part, it stated the Malaita Provincial Government "strongly resolves to put in place a Moratorium on Business Licenses to new investors connected directly or indirectly with the Chinese Communist Party."

Celsus Irokwato Talifilu, adviser to Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani, recently described how he saw Chinese businesses operating in Solomons: "Our forests and people have been raped and pillaged by a logging monster that lives in China. While the legs and wings of the dragon are in Malaysia and the Philippines, we know where its home cave is. We've watched it bribe and corrupt countless leaders, and we know it will never stop."

Malaita's Premier Suidani, later proved how serious he was about not engaging with the CCP. He fell ill and required medical treatment outside the country. Being an honest politician, he didn't have the funds required for treatment in Australia. Sogavare's government stalled on providing him with support, saying it would be offered if he rescinded his objections to China's activities in Malaita. He refused-effectively saying he'd rather die than take CCP money directly or indirectly.

In the end, through the humanitarian interventions of Prof M.D. Nalapat in India and President Tsai of Taiwan, Premier Suidani received the treatment he needed in Taiwan. When he returned to Solomons, Sogavare's proxies in the province tried to engineer a vote of no confidence to take him out. Widespread ground level support for the premier thwarted the attempt. But Sogavare and the CCP haven't given up on taking out the irritant.

And the people of Solomon know it.

(continued)

#16086581 at 2022-04-16 12:09:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16065928
>>16065951
Solomon govt refutes misinformation on deal with China, condemning those who attempt to undermine its stability

Global Times - Apr 15, 2022

The Solomon Islands government refuted disinformation on a "leaked security deal" with China, saying that misinformation from anonymous sources continue to distort facts and tarnish the good relations between it and China, making it the latest decalcification from the island state as it faces increasing pressure from Australia and the US.

"The request by the Chinese Embassy in Honiara to the Solomon Islands government to allow diplomatic Chinese security personnel to protect the embassy during the November 2021 riots was considered and held in abeyance by the Government," according to a release from the Solomon Islands Government Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Government Communication Unit on Wednesday.

The government made this clarification in relation to the so-called leaked documents circulating on social media that relayed correspondences between officials of the Chinese Embassy in Honiara and the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MAFET) and the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS).

Recently, some Australian media hyped stories about these "leaked documents," which showed that the Chinese Embassy "requested the importation of a number of weapons to help protect its facilities and requested to fly in a 10-man security detail" in the Solomon Islands.

On Tuesday, the government of the Solomon Islands warned against fake news and misinterpreted commentaries on social media.

The government clarified that it is a receiving State's obligation under Article 22 of the Vienna Convention to protect all sending State's resident diplomats, according to the Solomon Islands government's release on Wednesday.

It noted that the government confirmed that China's embassy security personnel have not entered the country, no arms have been shipped apart from a separate consignment of training replica arms stored by RSIPF and China's Police Liaison officers conducting training with Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. Following the hype of the so-called "leaked documents,'' the Solomon Islands has recently been overwhelmed by the sudden "enthusiasm" of the US and Australia. The Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, made a "rare" visit to the Solomon Islands on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the commander of the US Marine Corps and US senators visiting Australia also took turns to warn the Solomon Islands against cooperation with China. Kurt Campbell, the US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, will also travel to the Solomon Islands, according to media reports.

The target of this flurry of visits, which put unprecedented pressure on the Solomon Islands, is clear-cut - to thwart the security cooperation deal between China and the island nation and drive a wedge between the two countries. But the normal and mutually beneficial cooperation between two independent and sovereign countries won't be easily affected by coercion from Australia and the US, Chen Hong, president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times.

The combined coercion of the former colonial masters, led by the US, may put mounting pressure on the Pacific Island nation, analysts said.

"It is regrettable that misinformation from anonymous sources continue to distort facts and tarnish the good relations between Solomon Islands and the People's Republic of China," said a statement from the Solomon government.

It also noted that the Solomon Islands government will continue to work hard in protecting all people from violence and fear and condemn those that serve narrow interests and attempt to undermine the country's stability.

Analysts criticized that the hype over the so-called leaked memo exposed Canberra's panic. Neither Australia nor the US cares about the interests or sovereignty of the Solomon Islands and their blatant interference of the security deal shows they see the country as within their "spheres of influence."

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202204/1259414.shtml

#16080093 at 2022-04-15 09:49:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16065990
>>16068464
Shame on freedom as US and Australia threaten Solomons: Global Times editorial

Global Times - Apr 15, 2022

1/2

The Pacific island country of the Solomon Islands is overwhelmed by the sudden "enthusiasm" of the US and Australia. The Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, made a "rare" visit to the Solomon Islands on Tuesday. Seselja's visit followed the trip of two of Australia's top intelligence chiefs to the Pacific island country. Meanwhile, the commander of the US Marine Corps and US senators visiting Australia also took turns to warn the Solomon Islands. Kurt Campbell, the US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, will travel to the Solomon Islands, according to media reports.

The real intentions of the US and Australia on the Solomon Islands are well known - to disrupt the draft security cooperation agreement reached between China and the Solomon Islands last month. The riots, which broke out in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands in November last year have resulted in severe economic losses. The country has become more aware of the need to strengthen its own policing capacity and actively promote the diversification of foreign security cooperation. As a result, the Solomon Islands decided to expand and deepen its security partnership with many countries and China is one of them.

The security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands is a law enforcement and security cooperation between two sovereign and independent countries on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. The pact is in line with international law and international practice. It does not target any third party, nor does it have any military purpose. In this regard, no one has the right to interfere. The US and Australia conspire to urge the Solomon Islands to "consider not signing the agreement" is a gross interference in the Solomon Islands' internal affairs and a huge insult to the integrity of the Pacific island country. The Chairman of the US Foreign Relations Committee and Democratic Senator, Bob Menendez, called on the people's right to choose but he just did not allow the Solomon Islands to choose freely. In their eyes, the Solomon Islands are only free to choose to be a vassal of the US and Australia or be isolated from the world.

Menendez even warned the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, that China could become "owner and minder" of the Pacific nation if it pushes forward the security cooperation agreement with Beijing. To be more precise, the US is the "owner," Australia is the "minder," and the Pacific island countries are the "backyard" that the "owner" authorizes the "minder" to manage. Washington, who claims to be the "owner," has forgotten this Pacific island country, with an area of 28,400 square kilometers and a population of 600,000, for a long time. When the Solomon Islands faced an existential crisis because of climate change and when it was in turmoil due to intense ethnic conflict, both Washington and Canberra turned a blind eye. The US embassy in the Solomon Islands has been closed for 29 years.

(continued)

#16068464 at 2022-04-13 17:45:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16065990
US warns Solomons on China

BEN PACKHAM - APRIL 13, 2022

One of America's top foreign policy makers has warned Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare that China will become his country's "owner and minder" if he pushes ahead with a security agreement with Beijing.

US Senate foreign affairs committee chairman Bob Menendez said it was not in the interests of the US, Australia or the Solomon Islands for a Chinese base to be ?established in the Pacific nation, and Mr Sogavare needed to understand "what it means to all of us if that were the pathway forward".

The warning came as Australia's Minister for the Pacific, Zed Seselja, "respectfully" urged Mr Sogavare during a meeting in ?Honiara to abandon the security deal with Beijing, which Western allies believe will open the way for a Chinese base 2000km off Australia's northeast coast.

Mr Sogavare has vowed to sign the agreement but insisted there will be no Chinese base, branding the suggestion as "insulting".

"My hope is there is a broader, deeper understanding that China at the end of the day will be your owner and minder," Senator Menendez told Sky News.

"That's what their ultimate goal is. And they have shown that in ?Africa and other parts of the world, where it seems they are coming in with good intentions, and then their coercive economic policies, their coercive practices, ultimately put you being owned by China."

Senator Lindsey Graham, in Australia with Senator Menendez as part of a congressional delegation for meetings about the AUKUS ?security agreement, said China's threat and Russia's invasion of Ukraine had done more to unite the Republican and Democratic parties "than anything we could have done ourselves".

He said Australia had paid "a heavy price to stand up to China", and the US appreciated what it had done.

Their comments came ahead of a visit to Solomon Islands by Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific adviser, Kurt Campbell, in coming days, which will pile further pressure on Mr Sogavare to walk away from the pact.

On the election hustings in Geelong, Scott Morrison denied his government had "dropped the ball" in allowing China to strengthen its foothold in the Solomon Islands, or that the US was unhappy with Australia's handling of the matter.

"We have a very close relationship with the United States, and that has not been at their view and I reject that absolutely," the Prime Minister said.

Senator Seselja, who flew to Honiara on an extraordinary visit during the election caretaker period, said Australia was committed to supporting the Solomon Islands to meet its security needs "swiftly, transparently and with full respect for its sovereignty".

"We have asked Solomon ?Islands respectfully to consider not signing the agreement and to consult the Pacific family in the spirit of regional openness and transparency, consistent with our region's security frameworks," Senator Seselja said after his meeting with Mr Sogavare.

"We look forward to ongoing engagement with the Solomon ?Islands government, and with our Pacific family members, on these very important issues."

He said Australia had been a strong partner to the Solomon Islands for many years, supporting its security needs in two missions. Australia had also contributed more than $160m this year in development aid to Solomon Islands.

The head of the US Marine Corps, who is in Australia to meet Australian Defence chiefs and visit the US Marine Rotational Force in Darwin, said the West was failing to prevent creeping Chinese ?influence in the South Pacific.

Marine Corps Commandant David Berger said China's interest in the Solomon Islands was driven by the nation's strategic ?location, and declared the US and Australia needed to highlight "what this means, long term".

"'A lot of things change in warfare," General Berger told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra. "Not geography. Where the Solomon Islands are matters. It did (in WWII), it does now."

He said China was not "picking a fight" but achieving its ?objectives. "We're not successfully deterring it (because of) what some people call grey zone ... We haven't figured out quite how to stop that," he said.

Earlier, Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke to Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele to emphasise America's commitment to the country and the region.

Ms Sherman spoke to Mr Manele about a planned new American embassy in Honiara, and "our joint efforts to broaden and deepen engagement between our countries in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region".

She also put in a call to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Kathryn Campbell, expressing "concern about recent developments in the Indo-Pacific".

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/us-warns-solomons-on-china/news-story/8e485a603cae9778dd1dca9219bfb20b

#16065928 at 2022-04-13 09:04:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
>>16059101
Minister Zed Seselja's Solomon Islands dash to stymie deal with China

BEN PACKHAM - APRIL 12, 2022

Minister for the Pacific Zed ?Seselja has flown to the Solomon Islands in a last-ditch bid to convince Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare not to sign a security pact with Beijing that could open the way for a Chinese base 2000km off Australia's coast.

Mr Seselja departed Australia on Tuesday afternoon, hours after The Australian revealed the Solomon Islands government ?expressed "no objection" to a Chinese bid to import more than 20 automatic weapons into the country, including two machine guns, to arm a secret 10-person ?security unit.

The Chinese request was made in early December amid negotiations between the Chinese and Solomon Islands governments on the new security agreement.

The extraordinary visit during the election caretaker period came after Scott Morrison ?expressed concern over the "possible rotation" of Chinese navy vessels through Solomon Islands' ports under the security deal.

Anthony Albanese said a Labor government would have done more than "sit back and do nothing". "Why wasn't a minister dispatched to the Solomons?" the Opposition Leader said before Mr Seselja's trip was announced.

Leaked documents reveal the Chinese embassy sought ?approval for each member of a plainclothes security team to be armed with a 9mm automatic pistol and an automatic rifle. Two machine guns and a sniper rifle were also on the list of weapons to be imported, together with ?ammunition for all of the guns.

It said the armed team was ?required to protect the Chinese embassy following riots in the capital in November.

The embassy said all of the ?security personnel would hold diplomatic passports - giving them immunity from prosecution under local laws - with the official status of "attache of the Chinese mission".

"The deployment of the security team will not be made public by the Chinese side," it said.

The Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade said it had "no objection to the request", noting local police "could not guarantee the safety of the embassy and staff" during ?November riots in Honiara that targeted Chinese interests.

A press statement issued by Mr Sogavare's office on Tuesday warned of "fake news", saying "there is nothing to be concerned about". But it did not deny the weapons were allowed into the country.

Mr Seselja said he would meet with Mr Sogavare during the two-day trip to discuss the security agreement, and hoped "to further strengthen Australia's relationship" with the country.

"We look forward to ongoing engagement with Solomon ?Islands, and with our Pacific family members, on these very ?important issues," he said. "Our view remains that the ?Pacific ?family will continue to meet the security needs of our region."

He will also meet with Australian Defence Force and Australian Federal Police serving in the capital as a security assistance force.

Solomon Islands Opposition Leader Matthew Wale said ?Australia needed to become smarter in its diplomacy with Mr Sogavare.

"The problem has long been that Australian government officials have worked as if Sogavare is trustworthy," he said.

"This emboldened him to think he can make decisions with regional implications with little consequence. He is exploiting the limits of what democratic governments like Australia can do to stop him."

Mr Seselja will be followed in Solomon Islands later this month by Joe Biden's national security co-ordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, who will also urge Mr Sogavare not to progress the security agreement.

But Mr Sogavare has branded Western criticism of the deal as "insulting" and said he is determined to sign the pact.

He earlier ignored high-level intelligence briefings from two of Australia's top spies - Office of National Assessments director-general Andrew Shearer and Australian Secret ?Intelligence Service Paul Symon - who travelled to the Solomon Islands to warn of the agreement's security ramifications.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/minister-zed-seseljas-solomon-islands-dash-to-stymie-deal-with-china/news-story/33291f1e1f34845b1ce193e85739dd16

#16059104 at 2022-04-12 08:29:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16059101

2/2

The request, and the Solomon Islands response, have emerged amid Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's determination to sign a new security pact with China that Australian officials fear could lead to the establishment of a Chinese base in the country.

Two of Australia's top security officials - Office of National Assessments director-general Andrew Shearer and Australian Secret ?Intelligence Service Paul Symon - travelled to the Solomon Islands last week provide a classified briefing to Mr Sogavare on the likely ramifications of the security agreement with Beijing.

But Mr Sogavare said he would sign the deal, arguing it was "domestically focused", and rejecting suggestions it would lead to a Chinese base in his country.

Scott Morrison said on Tuesday that Mr Sogavare had made it "very clear" there would be no Chinese base in his country, but Australia was still in talks with his officials on "possible rotation" of Chinese vessels through Solomon Islands.

"That's a serious issue that we'll continue to press. At the same time, we must always respect the fact that Solomon Islands are a sovereign country. They're not a state of Australia," the Prime Minister said.

"There was a long time when Australia used to treat the Pacific as an extension of own our country. They didn't like it. They didn't like being treated like that and nor should they."

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese accused the government of failing to head off the security agreement.

"What I wouldn't have done is sit back and do nothing," he said. "Why wasn't a minister dispatched to the Solomons?

"Australia needs to step up, not just in a title, we need to step up in reality and develop those relationships with the Solomons and other nations in the Indo-Pacific."

Joe Biden's National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, is scheduled to visit Solomon Islands this month in a last-ditch effort to convince Mr Sogavare not to sign the agreement with Beijing.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/machine-guns-and-automatic-rifles-on-weapons-import-list-for-secret-chinese-security-team-in-solomon-islands/news-story/33291f1e1f34845b1ce193e85739dd16

#16047461 at 2022-04-10 08:02:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047451
US to send officials to Solomon Islands due to tensions over China security pact

Washington fears Beijing will gain strategic toehold in Pacific close to Australia

Demetri Sevastopulo - APRIL 9 2022

1/2

The White House's top Asia official is preparing to travel to the Solomon Islands in a rare high-level visit that underscores alarm in Washington over the Pacific nation's security pact with China.

Kurt Campbell will fly to the Solomon Islands this month, according to four people familiar with the plan. He is expected to travel with Daniel Kritenbrink, the top state department Asia official. Their visit comes as the small Pacific nation emerges as a strategic battleground between the US and China.

The US has been increasingly worried about the Solomon Islands since it switched diplomatic allegiance from Taipei to Beijing in 2019. Those concerns have intensified after the leak of a draft security pact that would give China a toehold in a part of the Pacific that is closer to Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii than to Beijing.

The draft agreement - which has not yet been signed - paves the way for China to deploy troops and police on the islands. It also says Chinese security personnel would guard any Chinese navy vessels that dock in the Solomon Islands.

"It's a pretty broadly scoped agreement that seems to leave the door wide open for future deployment of People's Republic of China security and military forces to the Solomon Islands," said a senior state department official.

"We've concerns about what this might mean for the security interests of our friends across the Pacific Islands.

"We would be concerned that if PRC security - or maybe even military forces - were to be introduced into the region in a non-transparent, non-co-operative, non-collaborative manner…That is very likely to increase tension."

Manasseh Sogavare, the prime minister of the Solomon Islands, has denied that the pact would allow China to build a base. But underscoring the concern from the US and its allies, Andrew Shearer, head of Australia's national intelligence office, and Paul Symon, head of its overseas spy service, this week visited Honiara, the capital.

During the second world war, the Solomon Islands was the location of the "Battle of Guadalcanal" which took place between 1942-43 and was pivotal in helping to turn the direction of the war against Japan, which wanted to build an air base on the main island. In January, Campbell told CSIS, a think-tank, that the Pacific was the most likely area for a "strategic surprise", such as a Chinese base.

Charles Edel, an Australia expert at CSIS, said the pact was concerning because China had a record of denying it would do things - such as vowing not to militarise South China Sea islands - before proceeding.

"Chinese bases…would help create spheres of influence that sculpt the politics of the region, threaten our allies, and in a conflict have the potential to both delay and degrade the flow of US forces into the region," said Edel. "When the Chinese military projects power further into the Pacific, it gives it more ability to watch, track and target US forces."

(continued)

#16047451 at 2022-04-10 07:46:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

Top US official Kurt Campbell reportedly heading to Solomon Islands to discuss Chinese security pact concerns

Andrew Greene - 9 April 2022

United States President Joe Biden is reportedly dispatching one of his top officials to Solomon Islands as concerns grow over a soon-to-be-signed security pact with China.

Last month, a senior Australian defence figure warned that a Chinese naval presence in the strategically located Pacific nation would "change the calculus" for Australia's military.

This week, two of Australia's top intelligence officials, Australian Secret Intelligence Service boss Paul Symon, and the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence, Andrew Shearer, met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Kurt Campbell - who serves as the US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific - will now also travel to the tiny Pacific nation in April, according to the Financial Times.

According to the Financial Times, Mr Campbell will be accompanied by a top State Department official, Daniel Kritenbrink, for the visit.

Under a leaked draft of the China-Solomon Islands deal, Beijing would be allowed to station navy ships and defence personnel to protect billions of dollars in Chinese infrastructure investment in the developing country.

On Tuesday, the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sameul J Paparo, criticised the potential security pact, describing it as a "secret" arrangement that worried America and its partners.

Dutton says China's assurances are not sincere

Australia's Defence Minister, Peter Dutton, says China's assurances that it was not seeking to establish a military port less than 2,000 kilometres from Australia were not credible.

"At the moment, they're telling the Solomon Islands government that there won't be a military port in the Solomon Islands. I doubt that very much, and I don't think it's sincere, and I think it's propaganda that should be called out," Mr Dutton said.

Mr Dutton, however, declined to say whether he or any other government frontbenchers had recently spoken to any Solomon Islands leaders about Australia's concerns.

"As you know, the Director of National Security and the head of ASIS have most recently been in speaking [to] Prime Minister Sogavare," Mr Dutton told reporters in Townsville.

"There's been a lot of contact through our High Commissioner and through DFAT, and at the [Federal] Police Commissioner level, and many other ways in which we've been able to reach in, both in private and some of which has been disclosed publicly."

Last month, in an address to the Solomon Islands parliament, Mr Sogavare declared that there was no plan to allow China to build a naval or military base in his country, saying the suggestion was "misinformation".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-09/us-official-reportedly-heading-to-solomon-islands-china-security/100979898

#15968687 at 2022-03-29 08:23:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Joe Biden acclaims 'essential' ANZUS

BEN PACKHAM - MARCH 29, 2022

Scott Morrison has marked the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Alliance by announcing a cyber and critical technology centre to be established within the nation's peak intelligence ?assessment agency to deploy cutting-edge technologies to protect Australia's security.

The Prime Minister announced the new centre at a dinner to mark the milestone for the alliance - a pact US President Joe Biden declared on Monday was "essential to our shared safety and prosperity".

Mr Biden's "Asia tsar" Kurt Campbell relayed the President's words to guests including leading figures in politics, business and defence at the Parliament House dinner, saying the Australia-US alliance was not only a historical document but essential to strengthening Indo-Pacific security into the ?future.

Mr Morrison said Australia and the US's shared intelligence commitments were a major pillar of the alliance, and with "changing geopolitical realities", Australia was "stepping up to do more".

The new Cyber and Critical Technology Intelligence Centre will be located within the Office of National Intelligence to harness rapidly evolving technology and meet the security challenges that technology presents.

"This multi-agency centre will ensure Australia, working with our allies, can better anticipate and capitalise on emerging technologies," Mr Morrison told guests at the dinner, hosted by the American Australian Association, the United States Studies Centre and the Perth USAsia Centre.

He said the centre would work across the intelligence community and with non-?government R&D partners "to fund, shape and deploy cutting-edge science, research and technology to deliver better capa?bilities into the future".

"Beyond defence and intelligence, today Australia and the US work together on a wide and expanding canvass - cyber ?security, space, supply chain resilience, critical minerals, quantum computing, low emissions technologies and more," Mr Morrison said.

In his message, Mr Biden commended Australia's "strong response" to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and "the strength of your voice in upholding the values that guide us as ?democracies".

"Seventy years ago, our countries came together at the Presidio in San Francisco and established an enduring partnership - as stated in the ANZUS Treaty - to strengthen the fabric of peace in the Indo-Pacific region," the White House Indo-Pacific co-ordinator said, reading the letter from Mr Biden.

"Today, the ANZUS partnership is essential to our shared safety and prosperity."

Mr Morrison said the alliance was one of "trust, commitment and sacrifice" that "continues to be renewed for our times".

"We come to this partnership as equals. We come to this partnership bringing everything we have, and to share it ... standing equal," he said.

Guests at the dinner included Labor leader Anthony Albanese, US charge d'affaires Mike Goldman, Foreign Minister Marise Payne, her Labor counterpart Penny Wong, former prime minister John Howard, former foreign minister Julie Bishop and former US ambassador Joe Hockey.

ONI director-general Andrew Shearer, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess and Australian Secret Intelligence Service director-general Paul Symon were also among the guests, along with ?Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty, Foreign Affairs secretary Kathryn Campbell and Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo.

News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch and chief executive Robert Thomson attended, along with Herald and Weekly Times chair Penny Fow?ler, Pratt Foundation chair ?Heloise Pratt, and Boeing Australia president Brendan Nelson, a former defence minister and Liberal leader.

The Australian's editor-in-chief Christopher Dore said Sir Keith Murdoch, who established the Australian American Association in 1948, saw clearly "the shift in Australia's interests from our sentimental and emotional attachment to Britain to our practical and actual relationship with the US". He said Sir Keith would be "extremely proud" the alliance continued to thrive.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/joe-biden-acclaims-essential-anzus/news-story/22488a6b29466e7ff6d0da6917cb85ae

#15778970 at 2022-03-04 08:23:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15772763
Quad leaders hold talks on Ukraine conflict, warn against similar shows of force in Indo-Pacific

Reuters/ABC - 4 March 2022

The leaders of the Quad grouping of countries the United States, India, Australia and Japan have agreed that what is happening to Ukraine should not be allowed to happen in the Indo-Pacific, the Japanese prime minister says.

A virtual meeting of the four-country grouping was held at a time of increased concern about Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China, which has stepped up its alert level, wary of China taking advantage of a distracted West to move against it.

"We've agreed that unilateral changes to the status quo with force like this should not be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We've also agreed this development makes it even more important to work toward realising a free and open Indo-Pacific," Mr Kishida told reporters after the meeting with US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific, said on Monday the United States would keep its focus on the Indo-Pacific despite the Ukraine crisis, although this would be difficult and expensive.

He said Washington has been deeply engaged in two theatres simultaneously before, including during World War II and the Cold War.

Mr Morrison said the invasion of Ukraine had made the Quad's purpose clear.

"This is what the Quad is all about: four leaders of liberal democratic nations who uphold the values and principles of our rules based international order," he said in a statement.

"Together we are committed to supporting a region where the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states is respected, the status quo cannot be changed by force, and coercion is not tolerated."

India the odd one out

The United States sees the Quad and its growing relations with India as essential to its efforts to push back against China in the Pacific, but it is in a delicate balancing act with New Delhi, given the latter's long-standing ties with Russia.

Of the four Quad countries, only India has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is the main supplier of arms to the Indian military and India faces the possibility of US sanctions for its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system.

Analysts say any moves by Russia hawks in the Biden administration to impose sanctions on India for working with Moscow could backfire and set back cooperation in the Quad.

Mr Campbell said on Monday that Washington remained "bullish" about its relationship with India.

"We have a deep dialogue with them on issues underway now," he told a Washington think tank.

"We understand… India's historic, long-standing relationship with Russia, but at the same time, ultimately, we believe that India will be moving in our direction."

India's foreign ministry said before Thursday's meeting that it would follow a September summit of the Quad leaders in Washington and they would "exchange views and assessments about important developments in the Indo-Pacific."

It was not immediately clear on whose request the meeting was called. None of the Quad countries had flagged it earlier.

Quad foreign ministers met in Australia early last month and pledged to deepen cooperation to ensure the Indo-Pacific region was free from "coercion," a veiled reference to China's economic and military activities, and their leaders are set to hold a summit in Japan in May.

China has denounced the Quad as a Cold War construct and a clique "targeting other countries."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-04/quad-leaders-meet-for-virtual-talks-on-ukraine-crisis/100880886

#15592244 at 2022-02-10 08:41:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

#20 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>15243071 US to put nuclear submarines on fast track - Defence Minister Peter Dutton reveals Australia is set to get its first nuclear submarine at least five years ahead of schedule after Washington agrees to help fast-track the project
>>15247159 Free-trade deal to speed exports to India - Australian wine, coal and grain producers targeted by Chinese sanctions are on track to have greater access to Indian markets from next year
>>15251521 Australian Federal Police Tweet: During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal. The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.
>>15264936 Barnaby Joyce questions future of US's global mission
>>15264954 JFK's legacy is strong, but Americans are wary - Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationals - theaustralian.com.au
>>15306365 Japan and Australia to sign landmark defence agreement, upgrading military co-operation, joint exercises and military deployments - The Reciprocal Access Agreement
>>15312135 Joint air operations to flow from 'historic' defence pact between Australia and Japan
>>15312136 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP to meet virtually tomorrow and sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), a landmark defence agreement between (Japan) & (Australia). PM Kishida said "I embark upon summit diplomacy in earnest" in 2022. This starts here.
>>15312266 Imam of Peace Tweet: My friends, Happy New Year, May the Almighty grant you whatever is in your hearts, and may you have a safe, blessed and meaningful 2022. Thank you for your warm messages and comments during my absence. As you well know, there's a silence before every storm. Notifications on!
>>15325248 Australia and Japan sign security pact to respond to 'challenging' Indo-Pacific environment

>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP have signed the RAA during their virtual summit, increasing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. (Japan) & (Australia) will strengthen its cooperation as vanguards of the rules-based order in the region.
>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP, your leadership and dedication were the No.1 driving force behind the RAA, ushering in a new chapter for (Japan and Australia) Special Strategic Partnership.
>>15325478 The oldest living American veteran of World War II, Lawrence Brooks, dies at 112 - Served with the largely African American 91st Engineer Battalion, stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines
>>15342236 Opinion: New agreement with Japan a historic step for Australia in South-East Asia - Christopher Pyne - adelaidenow.com.au
>>15342288 Australia commits to $3.5 billion tank purchase from the US
>>15348724 US needs to step up more for Pacific allies: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell
>>15380490 Video: Tsunami warning issued for parts of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania following the eruption of an underwater volcano
>>15385203 Video: An underwater volcano off Tonga has erupted, triggering a tsunami warning for parts of Australia's east coast
>>15385210 Video: Tsunami warnings are in place across the Pacific after an underwater volcano eruption caused tidal waves to hit Tonga.
>>15385218 Video: Analysis: Tsunami warnings issued amid underwater volcano eruption

#15592175 at 2022-02-10 08:20:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

#20 - Part 2
Australian Politics and Society - Part 2
>>15243071 US to put nuclear submarines on fast track - Defence Minister Peter Dutton reveals Australia is set to get its first nuclear submarine at least five years ahead of schedule after Washington agrees to help fast-track the project
>>15247159 Free-trade deal to speed exports to India - Australian wine, coal and grain producers targeted by Chinese sanctions are on track to have greater access to Indian markets from next year
>>15251521 Australian Federal Police Tweet: During his recent visit to the United States, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw presented @FBI Director Christopher Wray with the AFP Partnership Medal. The medal is in recognition of the close working relationship between the AFP and the FBI.
>>15264936 Barnaby Joyce questions future of US's global mission
>>15264954 JFK's legacy is strong, but Americans are wary - Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationals - theaustralian.com.au
>>15306365 Japan and Australia to sign landmark defence agreement, upgrading military co-operation, joint exercises and military deployments - The Reciprocal Access Agreement
>>15312135 Joint air operations to flow from 'historic' defence pact between Australia and Japan
>>15312136 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP to meet virtually tomorrow and sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), a landmark defence agreement between (Japan) & (Australia). PM Kishida said "I embark upon summit diplomacy in earnest" in 2022. This starts here.
>>15312266 Imam of Peace Tweet: My friends, Happy New Year, May the Almighty grant you whatever is in your hearts, and may you have a safe, blessed and meaningful 2022. Thank you for your warm messages and comments during my absence. As you well know, there's a silence before every storm. Notifications on!
>>15325248 Australia and Japan sign security pact to respond to 'challenging' Indo-Pacific environment

>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Kishida @JPN_PMO and PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP have signed the RAA during their virtual summit, increasing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. (Japan) & (Australia) will strengthen its cooperation as vanguards of the rules-based order in the region.
>>15325267 Japanese Ambassador YAMAGAMI Shingo Tweet: PM Morrison @ScottMorrisonMP, your leadership and dedication were the No.1 driving force behind the RAA, ushering in a new chapter for (Japan and Australia) Special Strategic Partnership.
>>15325478 The oldest living American veteran of World War II, Lawrence Brooks, dies at 112 - Served with the largely African American 91st Engineer Battalion, stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines
>>15342236 Opinion: New agreement with Japan a historic step for Australia in South-East Asia - Christopher Pyne - adelaidenow.com.au
>>15342288 Australia commits to $3.5 billion tank purchase from the US
>>15348724 US needs to step up more for Pacific allies: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell
>>15380490 Video: Tsunami warning issued for parts of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania following the eruption of an underwater volcano
>>15385203 Video: An underwater volcano off Tonga has erupted, triggering a tsunami warning for parts of Australia's east coast
>>15385210 Video: Tsunami warnings are in place across the Pacific after an underwater volcano eruption caused tidal waves to hit Tonga.
>>15385218 Video: Analysis: Tsunami warnings issued amid underwater volcano eruption

#15348724 at 2022-01-11 08:38:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

US needs to step up more for Pacific allies: Kurt Campbell

'Matthew Cranston - Jan 11, 2022''

Washington | Time is running out in the Indo-Pacific to strengthen Western alliances and reinforce military legacies, particularly between Australia and the United States, according to a top White House official.

Kurt Campbell, the "Asia tsar" who sat with President Joe Biden during the four-hour virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, said he was looking to Australia for leadership, and admitted that the US had probably not done enough in what is a strategic region for both countries.

His comments came at the launch of the inaugural Australia chair at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The chair, the first of its kind by any Washington-based think tank according to the CSIS, is sponsored by packaging magnate Anthony Pratt with a $US1.5 million ($2 million) donation.

"If you look at the arena on the planet where we have enormous moral, strategic, historical interests, where we have not done enough, [but] where Australia and New Zealand have done plenty, but [where] we've got to substantially step up our game, it is in the Pacific," Mr Campbell said.

"I'm frankly looking to Australia as the lead here. And we as the United States have to be a better deputy sheriff to them in this overall effort," Mr Campbell said.

Australia has been a recent target of China's economic coercion, and Mr Campbell has been a regular supporter of Canberra's resistance against China and a defender of the rules-based order.

The AUKUS military capability arrangement announced last year has brought the US and Australia closer together on security issues in the region. However, more needed to be done, and at a faster pace, Mr Campbell said.

"We have a very short amount of time working with partners like Australia, like New Zealand, like Japan, like France who have an interest in the Pacific, to step up our game across the board," he said.

"The Indo-Pacific sometimes has not gotten the attention it deserves. Australia's constantly reminded us of this. But we really have now a limited amount of time to ensure that we husband and support this magnificent historical legacy we have in that area."

The defence ministers of Australia and the US in September announced they would step up "military force posture co-operation", increasing interoperability and "deepening alliance activities in the Indo-Pacific".

Arthur Sinodinos, Australia's ambassador to the US, said AUKUS, the pact built around the sale of nuclear-powered submarines, was the key new area of enhanced cooperation.

"From our perspective, the Prime Minister's perspective certainly in Australia, AUKUS is more than just the submarines - they are very glamorous, they've attracted a lot of attention. But it is much broader than that," he said.

"One of my personal goals for cooperation in this space is how we get better access to the national technology industrial base. How we promote the debate around making sure that export controls can be streamlined to facilitate our capacity to work more effectively."

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/us-needs-to-step-up-more-for-pacific-allies-Kurt-Campbell-20220111-p59n9n

#15175293 at 2021-12-11 09:55:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

#19 - Part 16
Australia / China Tensions - Part 3
>>15076205 Video: Here's what's behind the violent protests in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara - How are China and Taiwan involved?
>>15076385 Video: Australia to send troops and police to Solomon Islands amid unrest
>>15081683 Video: Defence Minister Peter Dutton says China considers Australia a 'tributary state' that should submit to its power
>>15081688 Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - "In his NPC speech, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton continued preaching his quixotic misunderstanding of China's foreign policy"
>>15081691 'Visionless, outdated': China's fury over Peter Dutton's speech
>>15081695 'Mistakes of the 1930s': Peter Dutton ramps up China rhetoric as Keating calls him a 'dangerous personality'
>>15081711 Dutton a 'dangerous personality': Keating - Former prime minister Paul Keating issies response to comments by Defence Minister Peter Dutton at his National Press Club address
>>15081711 Statement by PJ Keating - Press Club comments by Defence Minister Peter Dutton - 26 November 2021
>>15081740 Chinese spy ship spotted circling Australia's coast for three weeks
>>15087607 Australia has fomented riots in Solomon Island: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>15087627 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on November 26, 2021
>>15092398 AUKUS deal endangers international security order: Chinese, Russian representatives - Xinhua - news.cn
>>15092480 Dutton's grim warning over Taiwan 'spot on': PM
>>15098172 Opinion: Solomon Islands intervention is always about the China factor - Alexander Downer - afr.com
>>15104897 US military plans for greater presence in Australia as it confronts China's power
>>15107339 Taiwan seeks closer ties with Australia amid China aggression
>>15112311 US Asia adviser Kurt Campbell says Beijing likely to end trade war on Australia's terms
>>15112316 Video: In Conversation: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell speaks with Michael Fullilove - Lowy Institute
>>15112375 'Delusional miscalculation': Beijing lashes out at Defence Minister Peter Dutton
>>15112375 Lijian Zhao Tweet: China firmly rejects the extremely irresponsible remarks of #Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton. Certain Australian politicians should stop hyping the "China threat" narrative for selfish political gains, and stop going further down the wrong path to the point of no return.

#15175281 at 2021-12-11 09:50:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

#19 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>15025693 Controversial plan for private security to guard secretive naval communications base in WA scrapped - Harold E Holt Naval Communications Station, Exmouth, Western Australia
>>15032618 Dangerous disinformation and "arbitrary incursions on liberties" are the technology red lines that Australia won't allow to be crossed: Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne
>>15032649 Ex-Japan PM Abe calls for Tokyo's cooperation with AUKUS in AI, cyber
>>15032652 The Sydney Dialogue keynote address: Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe - ASPICanberra
>>15032863 Video: 'Bit rich to get a lecture': War of words between states, PM heats up
>>15042145 AUKUS: Australia, US military 'melded like never before' - President Biden's top adviser for Asia, Dr Kurt Campbell
>>15047902 AUKUS causing Xi 'heartburn', says White House
>>15054048 AUKUS: Treaty signing opens door to subs training
>>15054104 Historic moment Australia signs landmark deal with the US and UK to learn how to build nuclear submarines under AUKUS deal
>>15054317 Video: 'Operation Phobetor' - Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission work together to disrupt organised crime

>>15061053 Jacqui Lambie fires up again, slamming Scott Morrison as 'worst PM on record'
>>15064544 South Korea President Moon Jae-in's Australian visit to strengthen strategic and economic ties
>>15068915 Australia lists neo-Nazi group The Base and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations
>>15068991 Dutton accuses Labor of 'crab-walking' away from AUKUS defence pact
>>15076199 Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare has asked for Australian help to regain control of the nation's capital Honiara
>>15076205 Video: Here's what's behind the violent protests in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara - How are China and Taiwan involved?
>>15076385 Video: Australia to send troops and police to Solomon Islands amid unrest
>>15081812 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern open to alliances beyond Five Eyes
>>15087527 Video: Huge crowds attend vaccine mandate protests in Sydney and Melbourne
>>15087552 'Freedom' rally fills Melbourne's streets again to protest vaccine mandates

#15175258 at 2021-12-11 09:33:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

#19 - Part 16
Australia / China Tensions - Part 3
>>15076205 Video: Here's what's behind the violent protests in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara - How are China and Taiwan involved?
>>15076385 Video: Australia to send troops and police to Solomon Islands amid unrest
>>15081683 Video: Defence Minister Peter Dutton says China considers Australia a 'tributary state' that should submit to its power
>>15081688 Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - "In his NPC speech, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton continued preaching his quixotic misunderstanding of China's foreign policy"
>>15081691 'Visionless, outdated': China's fury over Peter Dutton's speech
>>15081695 'Mistakes of the 1930s': Peter Dutton ramps up China rhetoric as Keating calls him a 'dangerous personality'
>>15081711 Dutton a 'dangerous personality': Keating - Former prime minister Paul Keating issies response to comments by Defence Minister Peter Dutton at his National Press Club address
>>15081711 Statement by PJ Keating - Press Club comments by Defence Minister Peter Dutton - 26 November 2021
>>15081740 Chinese spy ship spotted circling Australia's coast for three weeks
>>15087607 Australia has fomented riots in Solomon Island: Global Times editorial - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

>>15087627 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on November 26, 2021
>>15092398 AUKUS deal endangers international security order: Chinese, Russian representatives - Xinhua - news.cn
>>15092480 Dutton's grim warning over Taiwan 'spot on': PM
>>15098172 Opinion: Solomon Islands intervention is always about the China factor - Alexander Downer - afr.com
>>15104897 US military plans for greater presence in Australia as it confronts China's power
>>15107339 Taiwan seeks closer ties with Australia amid China aggression
>>15112311 US Asia adviser Kurt Campbell says Beijing likely to end trade war on Australia's terms
>>15112316 Video: In Conversation: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell speaks with Michael Fullilove - Lowy Institute
>>15112375 'Delusional miscalculation': Beijing lashes out at Defence Minister Peter Dutton
>>15112375 Lijian Zhao Tweet: China firmly rejects the extremely irresponsible remarks of #Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton. Certain Australian politicians should stop hyping the "China threat" narrative for selfish political gains, and stop going further down the wrong path to the point of no return.

#15175250 at 2021-12-11 09:28:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

#19 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>15025693 Controversial plan for private security to guard secretive naval communications base in WA scrapped - Harold E Holt Naval Communications Station, Exmouth, Western Australia
>>15032618 Dangerous disinformation and "arbitrary incursions on liberties" are the technology red lines that Australia won't allow to be crossed: Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne
>>15032649 Ex-Japan PM Abe calls for Tokyo's cooperation with AUKUS in AI, cyber
>>15032652 The Sydney Dialogue keynote address: Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe - ASPICanberra
>>15032863 Video: 'Bit rich to get a lecture': War of words between states, PM heats up
>>15042145 AUKUS: Australia, US military 'melded like never before' - President Biden's top adviser for Asia, Dr Kurt Campbell
>>15047902 AUKUS causing Xi 'heartburn', says White House
>>15054048 AUKUS: Treaty signing opens door to subs training
>>15054104 Historic moment Australia signs landmark deal with the US and UK to learn how to build nuclear submarines under AUKUS deal
>>15054317 Video: 'Operation Phobetor' - Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission work together to disrupt organised crime

>>15061053 Jacqui Lambie fires up again, slamming Scott Morrison as 'worst PM on record'
>>15064544 South Korea President Moon Jae-in's Australian visit to strengthen strategic and economic ties
>>15068915 Australia lists neo-Nazi group The Base and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations
>>15068991 Dutton accuses Labor of 'crab-walking' away from AUKUS defence pact
>>15076199 Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare has asked for Australian help to regain control of the nation's capital Honiara
>>15076205 Video: Here's what's behind the violent protests in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara - How are China and Taiwan involved?
>>15076385 Video: Australia to send troops and police to Solomon Islands amid unrest
>>15081812 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern open to alliances beyond Five Eyes
>>15087527 Video: Huge crowds attend vaccine mandate protests in Sydney and Melbourne
>>15087552 'Freedom' rally fills Melbourne's streets again to protest vaccine mandates

#15126744 at 2021-12-03 10:29:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>15112311
>>15112316
Campbell appeases Australia as Washington steals Canberra's market share

Global Times - Dec 02, 2021

To put Australia at ease as the most loyal pawn of the US strategy toward China, some American politicians need to make hollow promises from time to time, trying to give Canberra placebos. But such so-called reassurances cannot hide one single and simple fact: The Australian government lacks real diplomatic autonomy to make choices in line with its own strategic interests.

US Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell on Wednesday said that Australia will not lose "sovereignty" under the AUKUS deal. "I fully understand how important sovereignty and independence is for Australia. So I don't want to leave any sense that somehow that would be lost," he claimed at an event hosted by the Lowy Institute. Again, Campbell targeted China by accusing the country of waging "dramatic economic warfare" against the US ally.

But seriously, how much "sovereignty" is there left for Australia to "lose"? Although Campbell called Australia a "close ally" and stressed that it is not merely an "adjunct to Washington," Canberra has been closely following the US' strategy and even completely turned to the US. It is much too obvious whether Australia is a close ally or an adjunct to the US.

"Under the AUKUS deal, the use of nuclear submarines technology is too sensitive for Australia to decide alone. Therefore, Australia will have to listen to the US in terms of its future strategy and tactics. It has become a pawn serving the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy," Guo Chunmei, an expert on Australian studies with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

"Considering that some Australian politicians have made a rational and objective assessment on the Morrison administration's China policy, Campbell had to say those hollow words to appease Australia," she said.

In fact, Australia not only has little autonomy left, but is also being taken advantage of by the US in the name of a "close ally." Just one day before Campbell said those words, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the US and its allies are the "biggest beneficiaries" of Australia's trade row with China. As Washington is appeasing Canberra, it is also pointing its finger at Beijing while quietly dividing up Canberra's interests.

Campbell and his like have spared no effort to fan the flames in China-Australia relations. By following his words, Australia itself will have to bear the cost in the end. Washington does not have to shoulder any responsibility and can even profit from it. Anyone can see the US' trick, but Australia is still obsessed with it.

"Australia has a sense of insecurity and strategic anxiety, and the US does not have as much dominant power as before. Therefore, Washington hopes to take advantage of allies and partners to confront China. Australia has been passively, or proactively, tied to the US chariot. Canberra is led by Washington strategically, and rational voices in Australia are muted to some extent," Guo said.

However, Australia will not really be respected by flattering the US. For example, the US has taken the chance to steal Australia's market share, and it also limited exports of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines when the epidemic was raging in Australia. Worse, US President Joe Biden even seemed to forget Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's name in September, calling him "that fellow down under." Is it really worthwhile for Australia to forsake its autonomy to serve the US just because of Washington's lip service?

Under US hegemony, Australia has enjoyed the benefits and status far exceeding its political and economic value, at the cost of losing sovereignty. But this is like the "Sword of Damocles" - when and if the US turns its back on the "close ally" and even stabs it in the back, Australia will be powerless and confused after losing the support of its "big brother."

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202112/1240544.shtml

#15112316 at 2021-12-01 06:26:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>15112311
In Conversation: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell speaks with Michael Fullilove

Lowy Institute

Dec 1, 2021

The White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell spoke to Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove as part of the digital conference 'The Indo-Pacific Operating System'. Broadcast on 1 December 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ED9UhTstw

#15112311 at 2021-12-01 06:24:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>15042145
>>15047902
US Asia adviser Kurt Campbell says Beijing likely to end trade war on Australia's terms

Stephen Dziedzic - 1 December 2021

1/2

US President Joe Biden's top Asia adviser says that China's campaign of economic punishment against Australia has failed and has predicted that Beijing will re-engage with the federal government on Australia's terms.

White House Indo-Pacific adviser Kurt Campbell has told the Lowy Institute that Beijing's coordinated sanctions on a range of Australian products - including coal, barley, wine, timber and lobsters - was designed to bring Australia "to its knees".

"I fully believe that over time, that China will re-engage with Australia. But it will, I believe, re-engage on Australian terms," he said.

"I think China's preference would have been to break Australia. To drive Australia to its knees ... I don't believe that's going to be the way it's going to play out.

"I believe that China will engage because it is in its own interest to have a good relationship with Australia."

While China's tariffs and informal trade barriers have been very damaging for some Australian industries - particularly wine and lobster exporters - a large majority of the goods effectively blocked from China have been redirected to other markets.

Mr Campbell said that China respected "strength" and that Australia's resolve in the face of the economic sanctions would strengthen its hand when dealing with the Chinese government.

He also said that Mr Biden "briefly" raised China's economic coercion of Australia when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, suggesting it was on a list of "concerning" Chinese activities reeled off by the US President.

"President Biden was very clear and animated about what we had seen in Australia, [the] border [conflict] with India, all the things that I've mentioned, and just basically said 'we were concerned,'" he told the Lowy Institute.

"We're concerned by some of these steps and what it signals with respect to China."

AUKUS fuelling sense of 'excitement' among allies

Mr Campbell fielded a several questions about the AUKUS technology pact between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

While the main initiative being pursued under the pact is Australia's drive to build eight nuclear-powered submarines using US and UK technology, the framework is also being used to foster broader cooperation on a range of other defence technologies.

Mr Campbell said there was a sense of "excitement" about that broader cooperation program and said "several" US allies had asked if they could collaborate under the framework, although he did not name individual countries.

"Many close allies have come to us, in the immediate aftermath and said, 'Can we participate?' 'Can we engage?'" he said.

"And it is to the credit of Australia and Great Britain, that they insisted, yes, this is not a closed architecture. It's an open architecture. We want to work with partners in these key areas of military innovation as we go forward."

(continued)

#15047902 at 2021-11-21 06:54:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

>>15042145
AUKUS causing Xi 'heartburn', says White House

Matthew Cranston - Nov 21, 2021

Washington | Australia's AUKUS alliance with the US and Britain, amid a broader improvement in Washington's relationship with its allies, causes "heartburn" for China's leader Xi Jinping, according to the White House co-ordinator for the Indo-Pacific.

Kurt Campbell, the "Asia tsar" who sat by President Joe Biden's side during his four-hour meeting on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) with Mr Xi, said the Chinese President was particularly rattled by the idea that the US was building "Cold War-like" alliances.

"I think it would be fair to say at the virtual meeting President Xi made very clear that a number of things that the United States is doing cause China some heartburn," Mr Campbell told former national security adviser Stephen Hadley at an event organised by the United States Institute of Peace.

He said the creation this year of the AUKUS military capability deal with Australia and the UK, as well as the first in-person summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) in Washington, had not gone down well in Beijing.

"I think at the top of that list is our bilateral reinforcing and revitalising of bilateral security alliances with Japan, with South Korea, with Australia, the Philippines and Thailand; new partnerships that are of critical importance like Vietnam; the Quad; working constructively with India; AUKUS; and, frankly, talking to the Europeans in a more dynamic way," Mr Campbell said.

"President Xi made clear that those from the Chinese perspective represented what they would describe as Cold War thinking.

"We believe they're essential features."

Engagement is crucial

The meeting between the two world leaders was interpreted by experts as "cordial" in tone, and reflective of an easing in immediate tensions. Many highlighted the contrast between that and the flare-up between the two sides when senior envoys met in Anchorage, Alaska in March and exchanged barbs on China's economic coercion and human rights.

Mr Campbell said engagement was crucial as Mr Xi asserted his power both domestically and in the region.

"I think we recognise, given what's happened in China - in which so much power has been accumulated by President Xi - that we have to engage in this current period of relations with China," he said.

"I think the President, our team, recognises that it will be important to try to establish some guardrails that will keep the relationship from veering into dangerous arenas of confrontation."

Mr Campbell said the run-up in military spending by China had been a motivating factor behind the creation of AUKUS.

"What we have witnessed is one of the largest military build-ups across every sector - shipbuilding, nuclear, a number of technologies that are concerning - on the part of China in modern times," he said.

"We're of the view that some of this is destabilising.

"Much of it has been done in a non-transparent manner. And I think behind the scenes, many in Asia are worried about this substantial, dramatic set of military investments. And indeed, some of those steps have led other countries to respond.

"And I would say AUKUS is one of those responses."

Mr Campbell said that while the US could rely on its military might, it was now trying to fight China's economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region with hands tied behind its back.

"The general metaphor about one hand or two hands tied behind your back, it may be even more than that, it's maybe one foot tied back there as well," he said.

"Our ticket to the big game has often been our military.

"In this new era that we are confronting in the Indo-Pacific, of course, there will be military issues that we have to focus on. But it's really investment in technology, AI, quantum computing, 5G, human sciences - these are the arenas where the United States has enjoyed unique advantages. But frankly, our advantages have been tested and challenged."

Mr Campbell said the efforts of the Biden administration to pass trillions of dollars in new spending legislation was crucial for this fight.

"What the President has tried to do with a series of engagements, and again across the aisle, is to make those investments so that we can in fact run faster," he said.

"It's not an accident that the virtual engagement between the two leaders happened on the day that the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure bill."

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/aukus-causing-xi-heartburn-says-white-house-20211120-p59ajk

#15042145 at 2021-11-20 09:09:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

AUKUS: Australia, US military 'melded like never before': US adviser

ADAM CREIGHTON - NOVEMBER 20, 2021

President Biden's top adviser for Asia, Dr Kurt Campbell, has said he expects the US and Australia military to become "melded" together in a way unimaginable twenty years ago, as the AUKUS security pact comes to fruition.

Dr Campbell, one of the architects of the three-nation agreement that also include the UK, said the deal was a response to unprecedented Chinese military build-up in naval ships, nuclear warheads and space capabilities that had profoundly worried nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We're of view that some of this is destabilising, much of it is done in non-transparent manner, and behind the scenes many in Asia are worried about this substantial, dramatic set of military investments," he said, speaking as part of a fire side chat hosted by the US Institute of Peace in Washington on Friday.

"And some of those steps have led other countries to respond, and AUKUS is one of those responses," he added.

His remarks followed publication of a damning report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission earlier this week that found China's "unprecedented" nuclear weapons build up had raised the risk of war with the US and provided the People's Liberation Army with the confidence to invade Taiwan.

The analysis of the communist superpower's growing economic and military clout, published on Wednesday in Washington, recommended the US drastically clamp down on commercial ties with China and take "urgent measures to strengthen the credibility of US military deterrence".

Dr Campbell, who was present at the historic virtual meeting between President Xi and President Biden on Monday night, said the Chinese leader made clear "a number of things the US was doing" had caused the communist leadership some "heartburn".

"And the top of that list is bilateral reinforcing and revitalising our security alliances with Japan, South Korea, with Australia, Philippines and Thailand, AUKUS, and talking to Europeans in more dynamic way about areas of cooperation," Dr Campbell said.

"President Xi made clear those things from the Chinese perspective represent what they describe as Cold War thinking," he added.

Dr Campbell said the AUKUS pact "tied Australia more deeply to us", and both Australia and the UK had made "a fundamental strategic choice to work with the US" in the Indo-Pacific.

"High level" teams in the US, Australia and UK were working on "doing whatever possible to provide the Royal Australian Navy with options to build nuclear subs as rapidly as possible", Dr Campbell said.

"We realise and recognise and there are some immediate and medium-term challenges; we can't simply wait for long term solutions ... In the next little while we will have more British sailors serving on our vessels, more of our forward deployed assets in Australia," he said.

Naval supply chain experts have expressed concern American shipyards were too busy to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.

Dr Campbell said the idea China's application to join the CT-TPP trade grouping, of which Australia was a member, was "for show" was mistaken and China was "deadly serious".

China in September applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which emerged in 2018 from the remnants of Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2017 in one of his first acts as president.

"The most anxious calls I've received about anything we've been involved in in the Indo-Pacific have come in aftermath of some of these indications," he said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier this month said China should be allowed to join the lucrative 11-nation trading pact provided it met the minimum requirements, putting her at odds with the Australian government which has signalled it could veto China's application.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/aukus-australia-us-military-melded-like-never-before-us-adviser/news-story/5d907f9bbb87a0a8ea165acb8bc52d88

#14385826 at 2021-08-18 07:29:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

#17 - Part 17
Australia / China Tensions - Part 1
>>14020059 Human Rights Watch reveals harassment, surveillance of Chinese students studying in Australia
>>14020145 Environment Minister Sussan Ley invites China-chaired UNESCO World Heri?tage Committee to inspect Great Barrier Reef
>>14020149 Australia shouldn't be poster boy for climate change perils: Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley
>>14020238 Chinese rail firm refutes 'forced labor' claims in Australia - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>14035922 Exclusive: Planting 'consultants,' blocking vaccine approval, threatening officials - Australia sabotages China-PNG cooperation by all means - Global Times - globaltimes.cn
>>14042279 50 years after Whitlam's China visit, it's imperative for Canberra politicians to learn his political sagacity - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn
>>14053439 Japan boosts military links with Australia to fend off China - Japanese ambassador Yamagami Shingo says Australia will not resist Chinese economic coercion alone
>>14064520 Australia backed by 11 countries after calling foul play over China's reef 'in danger' push
>>14064525 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 5, 2021
>>14064545 Chinese ties 'vital' to trade survival, say resource states Queensland and Western Australia

>>14064583 China accuses Australia of COVID-19 vaccine sabotage in the Pacific
>>14064590 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 5, 2021
>>14064624 Exclusive: Western scientists face government probe, death threats for opposing COVID-19 lab-leak theory: source - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn
>>14064631 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 2, 2021
>>14071638 Video: 'Settle in for the long haul': White House's Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell's China warning for Australia
>>14071644 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 6, 2021
>>14089200 China criticises Australia's human rights record at the United Nations
>>14089209 Video: United Nations Human Rights Council - Adoption of reports by the Universal Periodic Review Working Group of Australia, 8 July 2021 - Mr. Jiang Duan, China
>>14089243 China urges Australia to face up to severe human rights violations at UN body - Liu Xin - globaltimes.cn
>>14089310 China is the 'big international bully at the moment': Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Peter Jennings - Sky News Australia

>>14089317 Australia browbeating China as a 'bully' only reveals the true oppressors - Li Haidong - globaltimes.cn
>>14092455 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 9, 2021
>>14092493 Australia has shown great resilience in the face of China's aggression - Paul Kelly - theaustralian.com.au
>>14098440 Time to abandon One China policy, says Independent senator Rex Patrick
>>14105608 Assertive China has misunderstood Australia's toughness - Alexander Downer - afr.com
>>14112475 China-Australia tensions flare over South China Sea
>>14112479 Foreign Minister Marise Payne Statement - Marking the 5th Anniversary of the South China Sea Arbitral Award
>>14112485 Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia - Spokesperson's Remarks - We deplore the recent statement by the Australian side on the South China Sea issue
>>14112489 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 12, 2021
>>14112492 Video: Australia needs to do some soul-searching and put its own house in order - SpokespersonCHN

#13877057 at 2021-06-11 08:16:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13877053

2/2

The leaders of the so-called "Quad" nations held their first ever joint meeting earlier this year via teleconference and announced a plan to distribute 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines to developing nations in the Asia-Pacific.

The Biden administration sees the Quad - officially known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue - as a crucial component in its bid to counter China's growing dominance in Asia.

Kurt Campbell, Biden's top Asia official, said during a think tank event on Wednesday that the administration was planning a "very ambitious" in-person meeting between the four leaders in Washington in the northern autumn (which begins in September).

Biden's bid to repair America's global standing is already paying dividends, according to the study released late Thursday (AEST) by the Pew Research Centre, based on surveys in 16 advanced economies across Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific.

Seventy-five per cent of respondents in the surveyed countries said they had confidence that Biden would do the right thing for world affairs, up from just 17 per cent who said the same for Trump during the final year of his presidency.

The study found 62 per cent of respondents now have a favourable image of the US, up from 36 per cent at the end of Trump's term.

Seventy-five per cent of Australians said they had faith that Biden would do the right thing for the world, up from just 23 per cent who said the same of Trump.

But in Australia, Biden's election victory has not translated into the massive outpouring of goodwill towards the US that has been evident in other countries.

Australians and New Zealanders had the least positive perceptions of the US among the 16 countries surveyed.

Forty-eight per cent of Australian respondents said they had a favourable view of the US, while 49 per cent said they had an unfavourable view.

Citizens in Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Korea had a significantly more positive view of the US.

Unlike the French and Germans, Australians still felt significantly less positive about the US than they did in 2016, Barack Obama's final year as president.

Australians' reservations may be linked to concerns about the health of the American democracy following the storming of the Capitol on January 6 and Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud.

Just 34 per cent of Australians and 30 per cent of New Zealanders said they believed America's political system worked very or somewhat well, significantly below that in other countries.

Just one in 10 Australians believe America's model of democracy is one other countries should follow.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/scott-morrison-eyes-september-trip-to-us-to-mark-anzus-anniversary-20210610-p57zor.html

#13869260 at 2021-06-10 08:24:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13780408
Scott Morrison set to go to Washington later this year for Quad talks with US, India & Japan

GEOFF CHAMBERS - JUNE 10, 2021

Scott Morrison's first face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden at the weekend's G7 summit in Cornwall is looming as a precursor to the Prime Minister travelling to Washington DC late this year.

With NATO and G7 leaders set to refocus their strategic approach on China, Russia, cyber threats and the Indo-Pacific region, US ­officials are moving to lock in the first in-person leaders' summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.

Mr Morrison, Mr Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshi­hide Suga had pledged to meet in person at the G7 summit in Cornwall after holding an inaugural Quad leaders' meeting virtually in March.

Mr Modi, who along with Mr Morrison was invited by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to attend the G7 as a plus-member, has been forced to appear at the summit virtually following the ­extensive Covid-19 outbreak in India.

Mr Biden's Indo-Pacific adviser Kurt Campbell on Tuesday flagged the first in-person leaders' summit of the Quad could happen late this year.

"Our goal is to hold an in-person Quad meeting ... here in Washington in the fall (autumn) with all leaders in attendance," he said.

Mr Morrison, whose previous trip to the US involved a series of events with Donald Trump, including a gala function at the White House, last year invited Mr Biden to travel to Australia to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance.

Pending an early election, the next major events for Mr Morrison and Mr Biden are likely to be the Rome G20 leaders' summit in late October and the Glasgow UN Climate Change conference in early November.

Quad, NATO and G7 nations have collectively turned their attention to ASEAN, the bloc of Southeast Asian nations driving unprecedented economic growth in the Indo-Pacific straddled between China and Western powers.

Mr Morrison spoke at the Perth USAsia Centre before he flew out to Singapore on Wednesday, and told attendees ASEAN was "the most important meeting within our region" and Mr Biden understood its significance.

"It brings together so many economies from so many different perspectives. We take that very, very seriously," he said.

"And I greatly appreciate it, from the President, his understanding of that and the importance of ASEAN and how it's about enabling the nations, their capability, their self-sufficiency, their sovereignty, their independence."

On the first stop of an eight-day overseas trip, Mr Morrison will meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, a central figure inside ASEAN, at The Istana on Thursday night.

ASEAN, of which Singapore is a founding member, is hotly prized by both China and the West, with renewed efforts from Britain, France and the US to join Australia in ramping-up ties with the Southeast Asian nations.

A key focus of the Quad following the March meeting has been countering China's vaccine diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific, with Beijing establishing a foothold in delivering millions of jabs to developing nations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this week co-chaired the special ASEAN-China foreign ministers' meeting in celebration of 30 years of relations. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said over the past 30 years, "China and ASEAN have pressed ahead hand in hand".

Mr Morrison has been invited to deliver a major address to the G7 summit at the weekend during a key session focused on "open societies and economies".

The Prime Minister is expected to speak to Australia's experience, and how democratic market economies must be ready to push back and respond to different models being promoted by authoritarian states.

Mr Morrison, who is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Mr Suga, South Korea President Moon Jae-in and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the G7 sidelines, will travel to London and Paris to hold one-on-one meetings with Mr Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron.

With Britain and France experiencing deteriorating relations with Beijing and both countries having historic roots in the Indo-Pacific, the leaders are expected to discuss how to bolster defence, security and strategic partnerships in the region, with both Mr Johnson and Mr Macron already committing military hardware.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/scott-morrison-set-to-go-to-washington-later-this-year-for-quad-talks-with-us-india-japan/news-story/10d48e7187854c3c509d43a2fa4f9f24

#13869047 at 2021-06-10 07:03:05 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13869043
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on June 9, 2021

Reuters: Japan and Australia issued a joint statement to express objections to China's maritime claims and activities. They also expressed concerns about human right abuses against Xinjiang Uyghurs and the weakening of Hong Kong democratic institutions. Do you have any comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: Our position on relevant issues is consistent and clear. China has sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters, the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands. Issues relating to Xinjiang and Hong Kong are China's internal affairs that brook no foreign interference. Japan and Australia are hyping up the so-called "China threat" theory, maliciously slandering and attacking China and wantonly meddling in China's domestic affairs. China firmly rejects this. We are firmly determined to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests. We urge Japan and Australia to abide by international law and basic norms of international relations including respect for other countries' sovereignty and non-interference, stop meddling in China's internal affairs and stop undermining regional peace and stability.

…..

Bloomberg: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated he will seek tighter ties with G7 countries at a summit next week. Does the ministry have any comments on the possibility of greater cooperation among what Morrison calls like-minded democracies? The second question is that, the White House's top official for Asia, Kurt Campbell, has said that China has itself to blame for a global backlash against its policies. He said "the country that has done the most to create problems for China is not the US but China". Does the foreign ministry have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: On your first question, G7 and relevant developed countries are the first to reap the benefit from global development, and should thus do more to advance international anti-epidemic cooperation, promote world economic recovery and help developing countries achieved faster growth, instead of stoking differences and disputes in the international community and disrupting global recovery and solidarity against the coronavirus.

On your second question, we noted that Mr. Campbell said that China has only itself to blame for a global backlash against its policies. We believe this argument suits the realities in the US best. A recent poll surveying over 50,000 respondents in 53 countries and regions suggests that the US is seen as the biggest threat to global democracy and 44% of the respondents consider the US to be a threat to their democracy.

The results of the largest opinion poll in the Arab world shows that around 58% of the respondents held negative views of US foreign policy towards Arab countries and 81% believed that the US poses a major threat to the Arab world security. Some in the US habitually consider the US as a spokesperson for the international community. However, the fact is, the US can not speak for the international community; it can only speak for itself.

The observation that "the country that has done the most to create problems for China is not the US but China" confuses right with wrong and misleads public opinion. In the past several years, guided by the wrong perception on China, the US went all out to suppress China, interfere in China's internal affairs and severely undermined China's interests. In the face of US power politics, bullying and hegemonic practice, China is left with no choice but to make justified and necessary reactions to uphold its legitimate rights and interests. The current US administration should reflect on itself, redress its mistakes, rather than smear China or defend the former administration's wrong policies on China.

I would like to reiterate that China's foreign policy is clear and consistent. We will stay committed to an independent foreign policy of peace and a peaceful development path. Also, we will safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests with a stronger resolve. We hope the US can follow the trend of the times, view China in an objective and rational light, abandon the obsolete Cold War and zero-sum mentality, stop hyping up "China threat", and do more to promote China-US mutual trust and cooperation and improve bilateral ties, instead of the opposite.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1882549.shtml

#13780408 at 2021-05-29 02:45:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

U.S. says looking at Quad meeting in fall focused on infrastructure

David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina - May 27, 2021

The United States is looking to convene an in-person fall summit of leaders of the Quad countries - Australia, India and Japan - with a focus on infrastructure in the face of the challenge from China, President Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific policy coordinator said on Wednesday.

Kurt Campbell said other countries were welcome to work with the Quad, which held a first virtual summit in March and pledged to work closely on COVID-19 vaccines, climate and security.

"We want to look this fall to convene an in-person Quad and the hope will be to make a similar kind of engagement on infrastructure more generally," Campbell told an online event hosted by Stanford University.

"And I do want to underscore … this is not a fancy club. If there are other countries that believe that they'd like to engage and work with us, the door will be open as we go forward," Campbell said.

The March Quad summit was carefully choreographed to counter China's growing influence and Biden and his fellow leaders pledged to work to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of challenges from Beijing.

They also agreed to hold an in-person summit this year. A White House official said it had yet to be decided where or exactly when the summit would be held.

Campbell said there was now a new set of strategic parameters when it came to China and "a period that had been broadly described as engagement has come to an end."

"The dominant paradigm is going to be competition. Our goal is to make that a stable, peaceful competition that brings out the best in us," he said, while cautioning: "There will likely be periods ahead, in which there will be moments of concern."

Campbell said the "operating system" the United States had helped build in Asia remained intact but was "under substantial strain" in the face of China's rise.

"It's going to need to be reinvigorated in a number of ways, not just by the United States, but other countries that use the operating system and that means Japan, that means South Korea, Australia, countries in Europe that want to do more in Asia and across the board."

Campbell said it was important for the United States to have a "positive economic vision of what it wants to contribute, what it wants to engage on in Asia."

"We can do everything right in Asia, but without an economic strategy, it's hard to be successful. That's what Asians are looking for as we go forward … we're ambitious about the Quad."

Biden, who is pushing for big infrastructure spending at home, said in March he had suggested to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that democratic countries should have an infrastructure plan to rival China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Belt and Road is a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure scheme launched in 2013 by China's President Xi Jinping involving projects from East Asia to Europe and seen as a means of significantly expanding Beijing's economic and political influence.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-says-looking-quad-meeting-fall-focused-infrastructure-2021-05-26/

#13780038 at 2021-05-29 01:53:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13780035

2/2

Taking on China

Increasingly countries - especially those ideologically allied with the US - are speaking out against China. In many ways, they followed the lead of the US.

Under former President Donald Trump, America launched a bitter trade war with China, imposing tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods.

That sparked a tit-for-tat battle over trade with China, and changed the tone of relations between the two countries.

China had hoped that under President Joe Biden things might be different, but that hasn't been the case.

While trade negotiations are ongoing, this week Kurt Campbell, the American deputy assistant to President Biden on national security issues, said the US was effectively done with the period of engagement with China.

In the past many countries, including Australia and the US, had a different approach to China. As China grew richer, there was also a sense it would grow more free.

Engagement and dialogue were the ways the global community tried to navigate China, but there appears to be growing consensus that is not working.

Mr Rudd said navigating China means picking your battles.

"China won't like it," he said, referencing growing concerns directed at China's treatment of its Uyghur population in Xinjiang, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"But the fact that China doesn't like something doesn't necessarily mean the rest of us shouldn't do it.

"That is not to say that you go and pick a fight with China every day of the week," he added.

Mr Rudd, who speaks fluent Mandarin, dismissed criticisms that he was perhaps naive or optimistic about China when he was in office.

He said he raised a number of concerns with the Chinese government on human rights.

"I've had many, many disagreements with China on human rights in the past," he told the BBC.

"On my first visit to Beijing as prime minister, I delivered an address at Peking University in Chinese criticising China's human rights performance."

However, he said the manner in which he conducted the relationship with China was diplomatic.

"It was hardline, but we also managed to preserve the overall balance of the relationship."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-57264249

#13773059 at 2021-05-28 08:36:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13773056

2/2

Bloomberg: I have three questions. One way for the virus controversy over its origins to be cleared that would be for China to provide all of the data about the coronavirus that scientists around the world want. I'm not speaking about the US here, but scientists around the world. Will China consider this option? If not, why not? Second question, Kurt Campbell, the White House top official for Asia, said the US is entering a period of intense competition with China. He said that "the period that was broadly described as engagement has come to an end … the dominant paradigm is going to be competition." Does the foreign ministry have a comment on Kurt Campbell's comments? Finally, I'm hoping you can clear some confusion about the trial of the Australian writer Yang Jun in Beijing. On the one hand, the court has told Australia's Ambassador Graham Fletcher that he wasn't allowed in because of COVID measures. At the same time, he apparently said that the foreign ministry told him that the trial was closed for national security issue. I wonder if you could clear the confusion here.

Zhao Lijian: I will first respond to Yang Jun's case. We have made clear explanation to the Australian side that the case is about national security and involves national secrets. As I said just now, China firmly opposes Australia's unjustifiable obstruction in China's handling of the case in accordance with law and gross interference in China's judicial sovereignty. China has lodged its solemn representation to the Australian side.

On your first question, as we repeatedly stated, from January 14 to February 10 this year, China responded to the request of the international experts on the joint mission in an open, transparent and cooperative manner by arranging field visits to different biosafety laboratories, including Wuhan Institute of Virology, and holding in-depth, candid and science-based discussions between international experts and experts from relevant laboratories. The experts learned in detail of lab management, work specification and latest progress on virus research. It is fair to say that they went to every place they asked to see.

China has set a good example for the global origin-tracing effort. Now the question is whether the US has the confidence and willingness to invite international experts to Fort Detrick, as well as its more than 200 bio-labs all over the world. We hope that the US will follow China's example, and cooperate with WHO in origin-tracing study with a science-based attitude so as to respond to the concerns of the international community.

On your second question, China and the US are two major countries that share broad-based common interests in upholding world peace and stability and promoting world economic recovery and development. The two sides stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. It is only natural that China and the US experience some competition in their relationship, which is the case in any major-country relations. However, using "competition" define or dominate China-US ties is a total mistake that will only lead to confrontation and conflict. Even if there is competition, it should be a sound one that helps to reinforce each other and pursue common progress, rather than a vicious competition to beat each other. China firmly rejects US moves to exclude and contain China in the name of competition.

The US should follow the trend of the times, abandon the obsolete cold war and zero-sum game mentality, and view China in a objective and reasonable light. It should adopt a positive China policy, and work with China to enhance dialogue, manage differences and focus on cooperation, so as to move forward the bilateral relations along the track of sound and steady development.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1879105.shtml

#13658141 at 2021-05-14 08:55:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

>>13658111
Payne: US-Australia alliance should embolden others on China

Matthew Knott - May 14, 2021

Washington: Foreign Minister Marise Payne says the United States' vocal support for Australia should embolden other countries to stand up to Beijing when the Chinese government threatens their national values and interests.

Payne held her first in-person meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Friday (AEST) as well as meetings with other top Biden administration officials.

Payne said the Morrison government is pushing for a more thorough investigation into the origins of the coronavirus while maintaining its belief the virus probably emerged from wildlife rather than a Chinese laboratory leak.

At a joint press conference at the State Department, Blinken backed recent remarks by Indo-Pacific Co-ordinator Kurt Campbell that China's economic coercion of Australia is a roadblock to a normalisation of relations between the rival superpowers.

"I reiterated that the United States will not leave Australia alone on the field - or should I say alone on the pitch - in the face of economic coercion by China," Blinken said.

"That's what allies do."

Blinken said he had told Chinese officials explicitly that "actions targeting our closest partners and allies will hinder improvements in our own relationship with China".

Payne said: "I hope that the support Australia has received from the United States gives confidence to others.

"It doesn't matter where challenges to your sovereignty come from, all countries should know that there is a global community that can support one another in this most basic expectation of nationhood.

"As with the freedom of individuals, so with the sovereignty of states."

Payne said Australia stands ready to resume dialogue with China "at any time".

"But we have been open and clear and consistent about the fact that we are dealing with a number of challenges," she said.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after the meeting, Payne said other countries can "feel reluctant to engage" with China on issues such as the repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang province but she hopes this will change.

"The United States is giving strength to others that it is possible to speak out on these issues," she said.

Both Payne and Blinken said they continue have concerns about the World Health Organisation's report into the origins of the coronavirus, especially as global investigators were not given access to original data and lab samples in China.

But Payne said the Morrison government still believes the virus probably began in wildlife such as bat rather than leaking out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

"We would still say the most likely hypothesis continues to suggest that the virus emerged from wildlife through an intermediate host," Payne said.

The so-called lab leak hypothesis has been attracting increased attention in both Australia and the US in recent weeks.

Republican congressman Mike Gallagher introduced a bill this week that would require the US director of national intelligence to "declassify any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease 2019".

"Now we know certain facts too that stack up in favour of the lab leak hypothesis," Gallagher said in an interview with Fox News.

Adding that he did not know for sure how the virus emerged, he added: "All I'm saying is lets get to the bottom of it. Is there any more important question in the world right now?"

During her visit Payne also met with national security adviser Jake Sullivan, climate envoy John Kerry and Samantha Power, the head of the US Agency for International Development.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/north-america/payne-us-australia-alliance-should-embolden-others-on-china-20210514-p57ruj.html

#13515179 at 2021-04-26 07:38:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

Top US general pays his respects to Anzac Day in Washington

ADAM CREIGHTON - APRIL 26, 2021

The most senior figure in the US military attended the Australian ambassador's residence in Washington DC on Sunday to commemorate Anzac Day, underscoring the strength of the Australia-US Alliance in the Biden administration.

Arthur Sinodinos, Australia's ambassador, hosted the small CovidSafe Dawn Service, which included the ambassadors of the UK and New Zealand, and senior Biden administration official Kurt Campbell, who is co-ordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the US National Security Council.

Attendees at the ceremony, which took place on a cold, wet morning on the front lawn of the ambassador's residence, remarked how special it was for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, to have been among the small group paying tribute to the thousands of young soldiers who died at Gallipoli in 1915.

Mr Sinodinos spoke of the "stoicism, Grit and stubborn optimism" of the troops who left Australia and New Zealand to fight in Turkey, which had left and "indelible mark" on Australia.

The day had "reverberated through the years to become our most important national commemoration ... Over 60,000 Australians were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoner out of total population less than 5 million," he said.

Mr Sinodinos in his remarks also dwelt on the 1918 battle of Hamel, in northern France, where Americans and Australian fought under the command of General Sir John Monash.

"It was the first time Americans were commanded by non-American officers," Mr Sinodinos said.

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, had earlier extended his "warmest thoughts to all Australians and New Zealanders as you commemorate Anzac Day".

"Since 1915, US, Australian, and New Zealand service members have served alongside one another in many global conflicts," he said.

"Through our strong and deep interpersonal ties, the partnership between our nations continues to grow each year along with the realisation that the kinship our armed forces share is more important than ever in helping ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he added.

Rosemary Banks, New Zealand's ambassador to the US, also spoke, paying tribute also to the "British, French, Indian, and Turkish servicemen" who died that day, and remembering the "enormous sacrifice" the US had also made in the First World War.

Five wreaths were laid, including one by General Milley and Dr Campbell, before the group retreated to the drawing room for Tim Tams and coffees with a shot of rum.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/top-us-general-pays-his-respects-to-anzac-day-in-washington/news-story/260afba9b18c951f1a45bf129320185e

#13422690 at 2021-04-14 08:29:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

>>13422688

2/2

Although cooped up at home more than he would have liked, Sinodinos has seen plenty of drama since succeeding Joe Hockey in the role last February. As well as the pandemic, he lived through the drama-filled election campaign, the storming of the Capitol on January 6 and the arrival of Joe Biden's new administration.

At first, there were fears in Australia's foreign policy community that Australia would lose influence in Washington after Donald Trump's defeat. Trump's abrasive relationship with many traditional allies allowed Australia's cachet to rise: Scott Morrison and Emmanuel Macron were the only two leaders to be granted a state dinner by Trump.

There were also worries that Biden would turn away from the Asia-Pacific as he focused on rebuilding alliances in Europe.

Such anxieties proved unfounded. In March, Biden held his first multilateral meeting since his inauguration with the leaders of "the Quad" nations: Australia, Japan and India. Sinodinos had lobbied hard for the meeting to take place.

Soon after, Kurt Campbell, Biden's "Asia tsar", announced in The Herald and The Age that US-China relations will not improve until Beijing stops its economic coercion of Australia.

The Asia-Pacific region is clearly the Biden administration's number one foreign policy priority, Sinodinos says.

"This administration has put a much greater focus on allies and partners than the previous administration," he says. "We've felt from the beginning more drawn into their processes, particularly when it comes to the Indo-Pacific and China. They are committed to multilateral institutions like the World Trade Organisation."

He continues: "People in our region are getting the message that the US is back and engaged. Under Trump I wouldn't say the US necessarily went away but the 'America First' approach tended to suggest it was 'America only'."

Sinodinos adds that the Biden administration is more orderly - and usually more predictable - than the Trump White House.

Although Australians may be seeing and hearing less of Biden than his predecessor, Sinodinos dismisses the Fox News trope that 78-year old Biden is over the hill and Kamala Harris is running the government.

"Even though Biden is not on Twitter and doing press conferences all the time, he is very much in charge. He's a very active chief executive, he's not back in the basement in Delaware."

While big functions and parties are still a while away, Sinodinos says he has can now host administration officials and members of Congress at the stately ambassadorial residence.

"I'm looking forward to some semblance of normality returning and being able to make use of the splendour of this place," he says, looking out at the residence's swimming pool and grass tennis court.

"People have adapted to circumstances but enough is enough."

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/spring-forward-why-sinodinos-is-ready-to-mingle-after-a-hermit-like-existance-20210413-p57ite.html

#13341742 at 2021-04-01 06:52:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition

#14 - Part 12
Australia / China Tensions - Part 1
>>13183795 Quad members hype 'China threat' theory to bolster their boldness - Mu Lu - globaltimes.cn
>>13184102 Former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Ted Hui moves to Australia
>>13184169 Video: Australia's top spy, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess 'knows' culprit behind ANU cyber attack, but won't say
>>13184562 Video: End nears for Victoria's Belt and Road deal with Chinese government under foreign veto laws
>>13190373 Chinese takeover of iron ore operations on Cockatoo Island near Australian military training area causes unease inside defence and government
>>13190431 Hong Kong activist Ted Hui welcome to campaign in Australia, says head of government intelligence committee Senator James Paterson
>>13190540 Liberal Party donor Huifeng 'Haha' Liu 'engaged in acts of foreign interference': ASIO
>>13195888 China tells UN Australia's offshore detention centres violate human rights, don't have adequate conditions
>>13196535 Elise Thomas Tweet: They're right. This is something we should be ashamed of and something we need to fix. Whataboutism is a cop-out and we should lead by example on human rights issues
>>13200581 Propelling 'Asian NATO' beyond US capacity: Global Times editorial - globaltimes.cn
>>13241473 Australian media launches false spy accusations against Chinese business man; expatriates from the mainland at risk in the country: analysts - globaltimes.cn

>>13241520 'Just not going to happen': US Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell warns China over Australian trade stoush - 'we are not going to leave Australia alone on the field'
>>13241531 Campbell's remarks push Australia further to the anti-China frontline - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn
>>13241570 Britain aligns with Australia against China - Beijing "a systemic challenge" to British prosperity and values
>>13241638 Beijing blames Australia's 'wrong words and deeds' for trade war after US rebuke
>>13241643 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on March 16, 2021
>>13247914 Video: Don't expect a breakthrough in U.S.-China talks, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd says - CNBC International TV
>>13254571 PDF: Consider reclaiming Darwin Port from Chinese company Landbridge, committee advises federal government
>>13254571 Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth - Inquiry Into Diversifying Australia's Trade And Investment Profile
>>13254635 (2019) Former trade minister Andrew Robb quits China-linked firm Landbridge before foreign interference law kicks in
>>13254654 South Australian Premier Steven Marshall accepts invitation to formally open controversial Adelaide Chinese Consulate
>>13264371 Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan: The US has 'got our back' on Chinese diplomatic disputes
>>13273939 China faces pressure from Australian parliament on treatment of Uighurs, religious minorities

#13341687 at 2021-04-01 06:39:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

#14 - Part 12
Australia / China Tensions - Part 1
>>13183795 Quad members hype 'China threat' theory to bolster their boldness - Mu Lu - globaltimes.cn
>>13184102 Former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Ted Hui moves to Australia
>>13184169 Video: Australia's top spy, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess 'knows' culprit behind ANU cyber attack, but won't say
>>13184562 Video: End nears for Victoria's Belt and Road deal with Chinese government under foreign veto laws
>>13190373 Chinese takeover of iron ore operations on Cockatoo Island near Australian military training area causes unease inside defence and government
>>13190431 Hong Kong activist Ted Hui welcome to campaign in Australia, says head of government intelligence committee Senator James Paterson
>>13190540 Liberal Party donor Huifeng 'Haha' Liu 'engaged in acts of foreign interference': ASIO
>>13195888 China tells UN Australia's offshore detention centres violate human rights, don't have adequate conditions
>>13196535 Elise Thomas Tweet: They're right. This is something we should be ashamed of and something we need to fix. Whataboutism is a cop-out and we should lead by example on human rights issues
>>13200581 Propelling 'Asian NATO' beyond US capacity: Global Times editorial - globaltimes.cn
>>13241473 Australian media launches false spy accusations against Chinese business man; expatriates from the mainland at risk in the country: analysts - globaltimes.cn

>>13241520 'Just not going to happen': US Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell warns China over Australian trade stoush - 'we are not going to leave Australia alone on the field'
>>13241531 Campbell's remarks push Australia further to the anti-China frontline - Chen Hong - globaltimes.cn
>>13241570 Britain aligns with Australia against China - Beijing "a systemic challenge" to British prosperity and values
>>13241638 Beijing blames Australia's 'wrong words and deeds' for trade war after US rebuke
>>13241643 Transcript - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on March 16, 2021
>>13247914 Video: Don't expect a breakthrough in U.S.-China talks, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd says - CNBC International TV
>>13254571 PDF: Consider reclaiming Darwin Port from Chinese company Landbridge, committee advises federal government
>>13254571 Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth - Inquiry Into Diversifying Australia's Trade And Investment Profile
>>13254635 (2019) Former trade minister Andrew Robb quits China-linked firm Landbridge before foreign interference law kicks in
>>13254654 South Australian Premier Steven Marshall accepts invitation to formally open controversial Adelaide Chinese Consulate
>>13264371 Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan: The US has 'got our back' on Chinese diplomatic disputes
>>13273939 China faces pressure from Australian parliament on treatment of Uighurs, religious minorities

#13328317 at 2021-03-30 08:30:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13328300
China - Reality Check

Bruce Haigh - March 23, 2021

The Australian Government first discussed the need for a second airport in Sydney in 1969. A decision to locate it at Badgerys Creek was made by the Hawke Labor Government in 1986. Twenty-five years later the first earth works were being undertaken, amidst the usual allegations of corruption and dirty dealing.

In China eight new airports are being opened every year, with time from decision to final construction averaging two years. The Chinese look at us askance. Australia simply doesn't cut it and it knows it. Why can't Australia get it's act together? Easy money from minerals, wheat, meat, tourism and students. Sound Chinese investment knocked back to please the US, who laugh at us behind closed doors.

Hedonism and corruption dominate the LNP, which Morrison encapsulates. Australia has never had a lazier Prime Minister and for him money grows on trees. He along with many of his contemporaries have no idea about real work or the real economy. Posed photos of Morrison building chook and cubby houses says it all.

The LNP fears the dynamism of China. They fear the Chinese work ethic, particularly when observed amongst the Chinese who live in Australia. The answer of the LNP and those they mix with has been to embrace industrial scale corruption. To use their political power to make hay while the sun shines, place themselves across the money trail. The dominant Murdoch media lets them off the hook, as long as the LNP gives the equally corrupt Murdoch what he wants, which they have, including tax payers unreceipted dollars.

The Chinese observe this. The staff at their Embassy in Canberra are highly trained. More literate and intelligent than most members of Morrison's cabinet, they read what is published as news, listen to radio and watch TV. They have come to the same conclusions that I have along with other Embassies in Canberra. Like minded embassies talk amongst themselves. In addition, China monitors all news services reporting on Australia and in order that we should not feel too important they do it for every country in the world. The point being they know us better than we know ourselves.

They also spy on us, as we do them, but they do it more effectively. And we also get information from the US which is tainted. They put spin on their intelligence to try and lock us into their view of China. And they have been successful, just as they were with Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? An overwhelming desire amongst Australian policy makers not to take responsibility for foreign and defence policy, founded in an inferiority complex grounded in not believing in the unique and innate worth of the country they represent.

China is aware of this in spades. They know us a lot better than we know them and ourselves. They knew exactly what was behind Morrison's ill-considered Wuhan, Covid accusation. They have watched and listened and lost respect. As have many thoughtful and considered Australians. Inept, thoughtless, crude and indeed arrogant attempts to bridge Morrison stupidity by Australian politicians and officials have only made matters worse.

From everything I have been able to glean Xi Jinping thinks Morrison a fool and has written him off. He sees no hope of reviving the relationship while Morrison is in power, so the Chinese will not bother. But they will take further punitive trade measures were Australia to make sillier and more thoughtless ASPI inspired anti-China statements and undertakings such as giving asylum to CIA backed dissidents from Hong Kong.

The Australian government has no idea of what is happening. China is cutting us loose. We will hang below Asia as neither fish nor fowl. Asia will cut us loose. We have no understanding that China is the major power in the region, if not the world, and to put it crudely, in the absence of getting our own act together we have to acknowledge them as we acknowledge the US. China seeks the same respect we give to the US. Is that hard? Yes, given the racism of the LNP.

Kurt Campbell, yet another US special representative, this time for the Indo-Pacific has said the Biden Administration will not resume normal relations with the Chinese until they treat Australia better. How humiliating and what rubbish. We do not need the US to conduct our foreign policy and the fact they think they can, demonstrates how weak and ineffectual Morrison appears to them.

The Morrison government has dragged us out of Asia and the Pacific, just as Vorster, the Apartheid Prime Minister dragged South Africa out of Africa. The reality is soon to hit.

Bruce Haigh is a political commentator and former diplomat.

https://brucehaigh.com.au/china-reality-check/


>All assets deployed.

#13328300 at 2021-03-30 08:24:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

Australia incorrectly believes US will protect its interests: former Australian diplomat

Yu Jincui / Global Times - Mar 29, 2021

1/3

Editor's Note:

Closely following US footsteps in an anti-China campaign, Australia has screwed up relations with China. This has plunged bilateral relations to its lowest ebb in decades. Senior US officials from the Biden administration expressed support to Australia in its confrontation with China on several occasions, how will the US factor influence Australia's China policy?

Worsening relations with China have cost Australia dearly, does the Australian government have the wisdom and courage to change the confrontation course? Global Times reporter Yu Jincui talked to Bruce Haigh, an Australian political commentator and former diplomat, in a written interview.

GT: In your recent article, you said "Australia risks ostracism from the rest of Asia if it continues to stringently oppose China." Why did you issue such a warning? In your opinion, has the Morrison government realized the need to change its China policy to avoid confrontation with China?

Haigh: China is the most powerful country in Southeast Asia. Short of nuclear weapons, the US will find it increasingly difficult to project power and influence into the region. China is able to project that influence and power. SE Asian states are aware of the real politic. They will act and conduct their diplomacy and relations accordingly.

Australia believes, incorrectly in my opinion, that the US will protect its interests. That is naive. The US cannot build bridges for Australia into SE Asia and with China. Australian thinking and evolving policy amounts to isolationism.

The Morrison government does not realize the need to change its China policy. Weirdly and childishly, it says it will not allow Australian "values" to be undermined by China, whatever that means. However other people in Australia deplore the Morrison government's China policy. They include a cohort of former diplomats and academics, as well as people with firsthand knowledge of China.

GT: What role has the US played in Australia's China policy? US Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell recently said that the US would not agree to improve its relations with China until Beijing stops its "economic coercion" of Australia. What does the US "support and backing" mean to Australia? Will Australia go further with its confrontational ways against China?

Haigh: The US has dictated Australia's China policy over the past seven years, first by Turnbull and then Morrison. Both sought to please the US. Pleasing the US is Australia's default position with respect to foreign affairs and defence.

Biden was stung by the strong stance taken by Chinese top diplomats Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi at Anchorage. Biden has declared that what is now at stake is "autocracy or democracy." What this fails to address is good governance. It has been reported that US leaders have vowed to "intensify competition with Beijing in the wake of the acrimonious anchorage meeting." It seems that rather than learn from Anchorage the Biden administration is going to maintain if not ramp up Trump's anti- China policies.

(continued)

#13286591 at 2021-03-24 04:00:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13273939
Beijing to Canberra, Washington: don't 'blackmail China'

WILL GLASGOW - MARCH 24, 2021

Beijing has accused Canberra and Washington of trying to "blackmail China" after the Biden administration raised the economic coercion of Australia at a tense meeting in Alaska.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing after the combustible first face-to-face meeting between the new US administration and China, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the Morrison government should stop co-ordinating with its ally.

"The attempt to form a clique to pressure and blackmail China, even intimidate China by virtue of someone else won't work," Ms Hua said.

"There are direct flights between Australia and China. Taking a detour via the US is only counter-productive," she said.

Since last April, Beijing has launched trade strikes on more than $20 billion of Australian exports to China, including black-listing coal, banning timber, crippling wine and barley with tariffs, and halting the lobster trade by threatening Chinese buyers.

During the almost 12 month campaign, ministers in President Xi Jinping's government have refused to take calls or reply to letters from their Australian counterparts.

This week Trade Minister Dan Tehan told The Australian he hoped China would re-engage with Australia "sooner rather than later".

Biden's administration has made co-ordinating with allies and partners a key part of its China strategy.

Ahead of the first senior face-to-face meeting between US and Chinese sides in almost 9 months, Biden's most senior Indo-Pacific official Kurt Campbell said Beijing's relationship with Washington would not improve until the trade strikes against Australia ended.

"We have made clear that the US is not prepared to improve relations in a bilateral and separate context at the same time that a close and dear ally is being subjected to a form of economic coercion," Mr Campbell said.

"We are not going to leave Australia alone on the field."

At the testy meeting in Alaska, Xi's most senior diplomat Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi bristled at the Biden administration's public defence of its allies.

"To accuse China of coercion even before sharing the relevant views with China, is this the right act to do? Of course not," said Minister Wang in a stern address delivered in front of a pool of TV cameras.

Earlier, Director Yang delivered a more than 15 minute tirade, attacking the U.S. and praising the Chinese Communist Party's achievements.

"The United States is not in a position to speak to China from a position of superiority. The Chinese people don't take this crap," he said in comments that were widely cheered in China.

Despite the sweeping trade sanctions, Australia's total exports to China hit a record high in January and February, as the elevated price of iron ore has more than offset the retaliation campaign.

The state-controlled Global Times on Monday evening said it hoped a recent drop in the iron ore price would correct Australia's "smug" attitude.

"It would probably be a good thing if after the fall in iron ore prices, the China-Australia trade data could more accurately reflect the true problems with Australia's economy," the nationalistic tabloid wrote.

"Only when real pain is felt by the Australian economy will Canberra be motivated to seek structural changes to its economy, creating a better environment for trade."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/beijing-to-canberra-washington-dont-blackmail-china/news-story/48774050c56d809a8dbfe9c8206ebeea

#13264371 at 2021-03-20 22:36:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13241520
>>13241638
The US has 'got our back' on Chinese diplomatic disputes, says Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan

Nour Haydar - 20 March 2021

Federal Trade Minister Dan Tehan says Australians should be comforted that the United States has "got our back" in the deteriorating relationship between Canberra and Beijing.

Top Chinese and American officials publicly clashed during the first face-to-face meeting between the rivals since US President Joe Biden took office.

During a tense exchange caught on camera, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rebuked China for using "economic coercion" against American allies.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Mr Tehan expressed his gratitude to the Biden administration and said Australia wanted to resolve trade disputes with China.

"I think all Australians should be reassured by the fact that the Americans have come out and said that they've got our back, and they won't leave us alone on the playing field," Mr Tehan told reporters in Canberra.

"We want all the help and support that we can get to fix these trade disputes that we've got with China.

"I thank the US government for their support."

China has imposed billions worth of bans and tariffs on Australian products including barley, wine, and coal over the last year, following the federal government's calls for an investigation into the COVID-19 virus.

Mr Biden's Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell told the Sydney Morning Herald last week that the US would not "leave Australia alone on the field" and is not prepared to improve its own bilateral relations with China "while a close and dear ally is being subjected to a form of economic coercion".

For months, calls and letters by federal government ministers to their Chinese counterparts have gone unanswered.

Mr Tehan, who took over the trade portfolio from senator Simon Birmingham in December last year, said his requests to discuss the deteriorating relationship have been ignored.

"I've written to my counterpart, I did that in January, set out very clearly the constructive ways that we can work together," he said.

"I'm yet to receive a reply to that letter."

"We've said all along that we want to have very constructive relations with China, the complementarity between our two economies is strong, people to people links are strong."

Last week, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Australia's "wrong words and actions on a series of issues related to China's sovereignty, security, and development interests" were the "root cause" of the waning bilateral relationship.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-20/us-has-our-back-says-trade-minister-dan-tehan-on-china-relations/100019392

#13241638 at 2021-03-17 07:29:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13241520
Beijing blames Australia's 'wrong words and deeds' for trade war after US rebuke

Eryk Bagshaw - March 17, 2021

China has laid the blame back on Australia for the deteriorating relationship between the two countries, dismissing the concerns of the US Indo-Pacific chief ahead of the first meeting between the two superpowers in Alaska.

Responding to comments by President Joe Biden's top aide in the region, Kurt Campbell, China's Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday said that it was not responsible for the breakdown in communication between the two countries after more than a year of trade strikes on $20 billion worth of exports.

"The root cause of the current difficulties in bilateral relations is Australia's wrong words and deeds on issues concerning China's sovereignty, security and development interests, which have undermined the foundation of mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries," said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

"The Australian side knows the ins and outs better than anyone else."

The comments from China's Foreign Ministry on Monday night are an early sign that Beijing will attempt to separate the dispute with Australia from the foreign affairs and national security dialogue with the United States in Anchorage on Thursday.

Campbell on Tuesday told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that the US was "not going to leave Australia alone on the field". He said the Biden administration would make it clear to Beijing that the US was not prepared to improve bilateral relations with China "at the same time that a close and dear ally is being subjected to a form of economic coercion".

In a significant change in tone in how Beijing views the evolving relationship with Washington after President Biden's election win, Zhao said he hoped "the two sides can have candid talks on issues of common concern".

"The two sides should respect and treat each other as equals, enhance mutual understanding through dialogue, manage and dissolve differences and bring China-US relations back to the right track," he said.

The world's two largest economies have faced their own period of heightened geopolitical turbulence after the Trump administration accused China of intellectual property theft, imposed tariffs on more than $US360 billion in Chinese goods, made unsubstantiated claims of China spreading the coronavirus from a Wuhan lab and condemned human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

Australia's relationship with Beijing has spiralled since 2018 after the Turnbull government blocked telecommunications provider Huawei from the 5G network over national security concerns. That decision along with foreign interference legislation, restrictions on multi-billion dollar business deals, independent media criticism of China's policies and funding for think-tank research features prominently on a list of 14 grievances delivered by the Chinese embassy to the media in November.

The list followed trade restrictions on Australian seafood, coal, wine and half-a-dozen other exports throughout 2020.

Campbell's comments came three days after the first Quad leader-level discussions between the US, India, Japan and Australia and as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Minister Lloyd Austin make their first overseas trip to the region.

Austin on Tuesday night labelled China a "pacing threat" for the United States as its military and economy grows in tandem.

"For the last two decades…while we were focused on issues in the Middle East, China has modernised its military," he said in Tokyo.

"In addition to that, it has engaged in aggressive and in some cases coercive behaviour, and some of that behaviour has been directed against our allies in the region. Our goal is to make sure that we maintain a competitive edge over China or anyone else that would want to threaten us or our alliance."

Foreign Minister Marise Payne was contacted for comment.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/after-us-pledge-on-china-coercion-beijing-lays-blame-back-on-australian-government-20210317-p57be1.html

#13241574 at 2021-03-17 07:04:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13241570

2/2

Mr Johnson's speech, and his government's integrated review, demonstrate a growing alignment of views on China between Canberra and London.

Britain banned Chinese telco giant Huawei from participation in its 5G network, following pressure from Washington, and after consultations with Canberra. Mr Johnson's government has also criticised China over the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong and human rights abuses against the Uighurs in Xinjiang.

A further sign of a growing Five Eyes closeness on China came in comments from Kurt Campbell, the senior Asia director at the National Security Council in President Joe Biden's administration, who said Washington would not allow any improvement in its bilateral relationship with China until Beijing ended its trade bullying of Australia.

Dr Campbell is reported to have said that Mr Biden had told Scott Morrison, during their four way Quadrilateral Dialogue at the weekend: "We are not prepared to take substantial steps to improve relations (with Beijing) ... until a more normal interplay between Canberra and Beijing is established."

Dr Campbell stressed that the US would not leave Australia alone on the field.

Nonetheless, Mr Johnson's integrated review illustrates the difficulty facing allied governments in working out a coherent policy towards China. While it recognises Beijing's growing militarisation and assertiveness as the biggest threat to British interests, at the same time it says Britain will seek an enhanced commercial relationship and greater two-way investment with Beijing.

Formerly, this was a dilemma mainly faced by other Asian ­nations. Now, with the size of China's economy - about 70 per cent the size of the US - and its growing global reach, European nations and others in diverse parts of the world face the same dichotomy: security threat versus economic opportunity.

This dilemma is even more acute when the urgency of tackling global issues is added.

The British review also notes that "China is an increasingly important partner in tackling global challenges like pandemic preparedness, biodiversity and climate change".

Mr Johnson identifies the Indo-Pacific as "increasingly the geopolitical centre of the world".

His review will also see the British increase their Trident nuclear warheads from 180 to 260.

Mr Johnson's opinions are closely allied with the Prime Minister's, and they share a similar view on many issues.

However, the British Prime Minister is also committed to ensuring that "tackling climate change and preserving biodiversity is the UK's No 1 priority in the decade ahead". That could be troublesome for Mr Morrison.

This will be a big year for British foreign policy leadership. In June, Mr Johnson hosts the G7 summit and has invited Mr Morrison to attend as a guest, along with the Prime Minister of India and the President of South Korea.

And then in November, in Glasgow, he will host the UN's COP 26 climate change summit.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/uk-aligns-with-australia-against-china/news-story/ab6269ccec5f65fb0cbe8a0f34306c0c

#13241531 at 2021-03-17 06:52:10 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13241520
Campbell's remarks push Australia further to the anti-China frontline

Chen Hong - Mar 17, 2021

1/2

In a recent interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, US Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell made the outright extortive threat that the US would not agree to improve its relations with China until Beijing stops its "economic coercion" of Australia.

Campbell's remarks are ridiculously detached from the reality of the diplomatic relationship among China, the US and Australia. No one can deny the fact that it is because of the Canberra government's incessant recklessness to senselessly agitate an all-round attack on China at the bid from Washington that has ceaselessly poisoned its comprehensive strategic partnership with China. What Australia has been espousing is the US strategy to contain, deter and crush China, rather than acting in the best interest of its own. Campbell apparently misplaced the horse before the cart, ignoring Washington's role which has goaded Canberra to plummet its relations with China into the present abyss.

China never uses economic means as a leverage for any political purposes. No condition had been attached when China imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on some of the exports from Australia, or suspended imports of certain Australian products due to bio-safety or environmental concerns. No responsible and self respecting sovereign government would succumb to outside intimidations to forsake its legitimate right to protect its economy and the well being of its citizens.

On the other hand, Australia has been priding itself to serve as Washington's deputy sheriff, acting as a fervent vanguard on the US anti-China chariot. Indeed, Australia had followed Trump and his team to launch a series of ferocious attacks on China. It has been fabricating the groundless conspiracy theory to frame China as threatening Australia's national security by influencing Australia's politics. The imposition of a blanket ban on Huawei serves the US strategy to curb China's technological leap forward. And what is more insidious is the Morrison government's proposal, in echo of Trump's blame-shifting tactics, of a so-called "independent inquiry" into the origin and spread the coronavirus, camouflaged as an innocuous scientific investigation but in essence connived to malevolently inflict responsibility for the pandemic on China.

It is the US ploy to manipulate Canberra, exploiting its reliance on the US alliance to lure it to act as a panda-bashing bludgeon. Australia has sacrificed its own national interest and dignity to serve the Trump administration's "America First" doctrine. Quite a number of unsuspecting Australians have been inveigled to believe that China poses as a menace, and the United States is bound to salvage them. That is why Australia from time to time defies common sense to enthusiastically play an active role in the US' anti-China strategy, bizarrely believing that China, its biggest trade partner, is a risk to its security domestically and in the Asia-Pacific region.

What Joe Biden inherited from the Trump administration is not only a messy US-China relations, but an even worse scenario in the Pacific that Australia's relations with China is undergoing an unprecedented freefall. Biden opts for an "allies first" policy, claiming that "America is back". As the US is still embroiled in a mesh of domestic political, economic and social difficulties, the new government relies more than ever before on the contributions and engagement of its allies on the international arena. No wonder Campbell cajoled the Australian news outlet that the US is not going to "leave Australia alone on the field."

(continued)

#13241520 at 2021-03-17 06:48:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

>>13183787
'Just not going to happen': US warns China over Australian trade stoush

Peter Hartcher - March 16, 2021

1/2

The US will not grant China any improvement in relations until Beijing stops its economic coercion of Australia, a senior White House official said.

The administration of President Joe Biden has told the Chinese government that "we are not going to leave Australia alone on the field", according to the President's Indo-Pacific co-ordinator, Kurt Campbell.

"We have made clear that the US is not prepared to improve relations in a bilateral and separate context at the same time that a close and dear ally is being subjected to a form of economic coercion," he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in the first interview a senior Biden official has given to any Australian media.

Dr Campbell is often described as Mr Biden's "Asia tsar". His appointment was hailed as super-charging the US effort to gather allies to confront an increasingly aggressive China. He served as the top Asia official for Hillary Clinton when she was Barack Obama's secretary of state. He crafted the Obama administration's pivot to Asia and served in the Pentagon under president Bill Clinton.

He said Mr Biden had given his commitment personally to Australia's leader, Scott Morrison, during the video-link summit of the Quad countries last Saturday (AEDT).

"President Biden was very direct with Prime Minister Morrison that we stood together on this," said Dr Campbell, the architect of the summit, who was in the room with Mr Biden during the meeting.

"So we've indicated both to Australia and China at the highest levels that we are fully aware of what's going on and we are not prepared to take substantial steps to improve relations until those policies are addressed and a more normal interplay between Canberra and Beijing is established."

It is the first known intervention of any nation to take substantive steps in support of Australia in its confrontation with Beijing.

The regime of President Xi Jinping has applied trade bans and tariffs on at least $20 billion worth of Australian exports to China.

As recently as last week, China's embassy in Canberra threatened that "China-Australia relations will only sustain further damage" after Australia granted a visa to a Hong Kong pro-democracy politician, Ted Hui Chi-fung.

"It's almost an obvious statement of the role of allies and the importance of Australia that we are not going to leave Australia alone on the field," said Dr Campbell.

"It's just not going to happen. I want to underscore this - that reality should not come as a surprise. This matter has been raised in every meeting [with Chinese officials] and it will be underscored in interactions in Anchorage later this week," when the US secretaries of state and defence are scheduled to meet their Chinese counterparts in the first major face-to-face contact between the Biden administration and Beijing.

"That, in and of itself, is a substantial step," Dr Campbell said. He added that US economic officials would be discussing further options with Australian and other counterparts.

(continued)

#12908019 at 2021-02-13 02:08:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition

Biden confronted China in call to Xi - and that's good for Australia

Anthony Galloway - February 12, 2021

If anyone was unsure whether Joe Biden would adopt a hard line on China, his first phone call with Xi Jinping should leave no one in doubt.

Biden's posture on China, so far, has been good for Australia.

There seemed to be a view floating around in sections of the Australian commentariat in recent weeks that Biden's re-engagement with Beijing could leave Canberra in the dark.

Former public service chief Martin Parkinson on Wednesday said the election of the new US President would make it even more difficult for Australia to manage its deteriorating relationship with Beijing because the US had maintained open channels of dialogue.

But in his phone call with the Chinese President this week, Biden criticised Beijing for its "coercive and unfair economic practices". This has been widely interpreted within the Morrison government as Biden standing up for countries such as Australia that have been hit by trade strikes from Beijing for standing up to its coercive behaviour.

Biden also underscored his fundamental concerns about China's "crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan".

It is worth comparing the readout of Biden's call with that of his predecessor, Donald Trump, four years ago.

In his first chat with Xi, Trump made no mention of Xinjiang or Taiwan. In fact, it contained no criticism of China at all.

The White House readout said: "Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'one China' policy". The discussion was described as "extremely cordial" and both leaders looked forward to "further talks with very successful outcomes". Trump's subservience was enough to make you sick.

The stark difference between the two calls is partly due to the centre of gravity in Washington shifting immensely over the past four years on the question of how to deal with China's rise.

But it also shows that for all of the bloated rhetoric on China from his administration, Trump was at heart a low-rent deal-maker who was happy to suck up to the Chinese President as long as he got something out of it.

In contrast, Biden has shown from the outset that while he is prepared to have constructive engagement with Beijing, certain topics are non-negotiable. These include China's democratic crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, militarisation of the South China Sea and growing assertiveness against Taiwan.

This is what Biden's national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell have called "competition and cooperation".

We knew Biden would be less intemperate, less America-first and more engaged with allies than Trump. What many didn't grasp, if they weren't paying attention during the US Presidential campaign, was the display of strength Biden planned to show towards China.

None of this is to say Biden's approach will provide a silver bullet for the Morrison government to improve relations with its biggest trading partner. Australia is in the diplomatic freezer and needs to find a way out on its own.

But it is in Australia's interests to have an America that accepts the optimistic assumptions underpinning the four-decade-long strategy of diplomatic and economic engagement with China have failed, and that the US is now in competition with Beijing.

This competitive posture needs to be pursued in a way that is strategic, coordinated with allies and avoids confrontation and potentially conflict.

While Trump was in it for himself, Biden has started a lot better.

Anthony is foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/biden-confronted-china-in-call-to-xi-and-that-s-good-for-australia-20210212-p571yx.html

#11402731 at 2020-11-02 05:23:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #10 - INFORMATION WARFARE Edition

>>11402713

2/2

As with Turnbull, Scott Morrison has also developed a good rapport with Trump, and there is no doubt the President has a soft spot for Australia.

Trump honoured the Obama deal with Turnbull on asylum seekers, he decided not to impose tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium when tariffs were imposed on most of the rest of the world, and his secretaries of defence and state have showed energetic interest in maintaining a power balance in the Indo-Pacific region.

To be frank, it is plain silly partisanship to say the Trump administration has been isolationist and turned its back on its allies. That was a narrative developed during the last presidential election campaign by the Democrats. It's just nonsense.

In the Indo-Pacific region, as distinct from Europe, there is much less focus on Trump's tweeting and rather degrading political antics. Asian leaders are more impressed with the broader administration positioning in the region and on the whole they have been happy with that.

Trump built up a good relationship with Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe. He seems to have engaged well enough with other regional leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. And the US Navy, intelligence services and diplomats have remained heavily committed to the region.

Given the size of the US economy, its performance inevitably has an impact on Australia. Until the coronavirus crisis hit, the American economy was motoring along, driven by those tax cuts that Angela liked so much and a strong agenda to deregulate business. This has been good for the Australian economy.

So, overall, the Trump administration has been as good as any for Australia to deal with. Australia has been seen as a great and loyal ally by Washington, as it was in years gone by.

Deeply partisan commentariat

You don't hear this very often. That is because so many of the foreign policy commentariat in Australia are deeply partisan when it comes to American politics. They love the Democrats.

Besides, it's not just a choice about Trump. We have to weigh up what we think about Biden. What is incredible is how little scrutiny Biden and his agenda have been subjected to by the media. We hardly know anything about his plans for government.

Last week I spoke with the Trump administration's Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger, and Kurt Campbell, a strong Democrat and former senior official in the Clinton and Obama administrations.

What interested me was the similarity of their analyses and policies on the Indo-Pacific region. Both would pursue very similar policies towards China, which they see as a "strategic competitor", remain loyal to their allies in the region, try to further strengthen relations with India and engage constructively with ASEAN.

My guess is that some Australian commentators will find the Biden domestic agenda more appealing than that of Trump. For example, they will like the Democratic Party's commitment to identity politics, critical race theory, intersectionality and the rest. Personally, I think all of that is deeply illiberal and divisive, and will not help to heal an already divided America.

So for me, I'm with Angela. I'd vote through gritted teeth for Trump. There is no perfect choice in this election. There is the slightly crazy, out-of-control Donald Trump, who reminds me of a mixture of Kerry Packer and John Elliott. And then there is poor old Joe Biden, bumbling along without any clear plans, and likely to be a hostage to a bevy of querulous advisers.

My guess is that Biden will win. And beyond that, his administration will be divided and directionless.

Alexander Downer was Australia's longest serving foreign minister, from 1996 to 2007, and most recently Australian High Commissioner to the UK.

https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/why-i-would-grit-my-teeth-and-vote-for-trump-20201101-p56afm