The Albanese government mantra regarding relations with China ‘we need to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must’ is looking somewhat shop soiled after the November 14 incident where Australian divers off the HMAS Toowoomba, working in Japanese waters, were subjected to sonar by a Chinese warship.
Senator Rex Patrick, who served on Oberon Class submarines before being selected as a member of the trials crew for the first Collins class submarine, went to the heart of the matter in an interview on ABC radio, pointing out that, at sea, it was expected that a ship in distress would be assisted by other shipping, not be the recipient of hostile action.
This is, as Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie also emphasised, aggressive action and not the first taken by the Chinese military.
Unsurprisingly, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said its military operates in accordance with international law, the stock excuse for such incidents. Thankfully, the Navy divers subjected to the sonar attack have been certified not have sustained harm, but the incident is a worrying red flag, perhaps suggesting that the Chinese military is testing how far it can push Australia without retribution or international censure.
Prime Minister Albanese failed to seize the opportunity to refer the incident to the Chinese President during their APEC meeting. Was this a case of not wishing to rock the boat (perhaps an unfortunate choice of words), or was our Prime Minister too overwhelmed by the occasion?
‘Stabilisation’ in the bi-lateral relationship appears to be the objective to be maintained at all costs, now that Chinese officials have deigned to actually start speaking to us, at least where trade is concerned, but what actually does stabilisation mean, if the Chinese military continues to act in ways that only be construed as hostile?
The ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy that was previously a feature of Chinese diplomatic relations towards Australia has not been taken off the agenda. Rather, it now appears to come into play to show countries in the Asia-Pacific that China can, and will, use military power, while ‘operat[ing] in accordance with international law’.
According to the South China Morning Post, the Chinese warship’s sonar attack came as:
An 11-day joint military exercise involving nearly 3,000 members of elite forces from the Philippines, United States, Japan, South Korea and Britain is underway and focused on ‘interoperability’ to counter any crisis in the Indo-Pacific region, as geopolitical tensions mount in the south and east China seas.
‘Kamandag 7’ is part of a series of training exercises across Southeast Asia comprising 2,749 personnel, including 902 US marines. Some of the Americans hail from a newly created fighting unit, formed by the US last year to be the first responder in the Indo-Pacific.
The wolves are circling.
Let’s hope Prime Minister Albanese and Minister Wong are prepared for what may be more than ‘disagreements’.
