Australia says China military buildup creating ‘pressure’ in Southeast Asia
Australian defence minister Richard Marles said China was undertaking the world’s largest conventional military build-up in the region since the Second World War.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles warned on Thursday that China's expanding military presence was creating a "condition of pressure" in Southeast Asia. The buildup, involving hundreds of coast guard, navy, and other vessels patrolling contested areas of the South China Sea, has Beijing claiming almost the entire waterway despite a ruling stating its position lacks legal basis.
Marles addressed reporters in the Philippines during a Southeast Asian defence ministers' meeting, emphasizing Beijing's reasons for the assertiveness and the challenges it presents for Australia. The middle power relies on the rules-based order to maintain its agency, and Marles stressed the importance of preserving this order.
Australia, along with the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, recently strengthened defence cooperation in response to China's growing assertiveness and militarisation of artificial islands in the South China Sea.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
