Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has issued a stark warning about China’s growing military presence in the region as Anthony Albanese prepares to embark on a six-day trip to Beijing.
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, Wong acknowledged China’s central role in tackling global challenges, and warned against increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
‘China’s size and weight make it central to solving global challenges – from climate change to global public health, from international trade to the energy transition,’ she said.
‘China continues to assert its strategic influence and project its military power further into our region.
‘And we have seen the worrying pace of China’s nuclear and conventional military build-up without the transparency that the region expects.’
She also voiced criticism of China’s naval operations in the Pacific.
‘We will continue to register our concerns about Chinese vessels engaging in destabilising and dangerous conduct in the South China Sea, including towards Philippine and Vietnamese vessels,’ she said.
Albanese is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for the fourth time when he lands in Beijing on Friday. The meeting comes amid fierce debate over Australia’s strategic positioning between China and the United States.
Albanese will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the fourth time when he flies to Shanghai, and then travels to Beijing, on Saturday
Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are seen during a visit in November 2023
Albanese is still awaiting a first in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The delay comes in the midst of a Pentagon review of the AUKUS submarine pact, as well as the government refusing to adopt US demands for a near doubling of Australia’s defence spending.
Wong’s comments follow Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ firm rejection of Chinese pressure to loosen Australia’s foreign investment rules.
Chalmers said the government would not compromise national security by allowing foreign ownership of critical sectors.
He ruled out Australia weakening rules that prevent foreign ownership of critical infrastructure, energy, data, and minerals.
In a pointed speech last Saturday, Albanese pushed back against growing pressure from Washington, invoking wartime Labor Prime Minister John Curtin.
He credited Curtin with giving Australians the confidence to speak ‘for ourselves, as a sovereign state’.
Albanese reaffirmed his support for the AUKUS alliance while making clear Australia’s independence during a Q&A session that followed.
Penny Wong said China’s continuing military build up was moving at a ‘worrying pace’ (she is pictured behind Albanese during a visit to Beijing in 2023)
‘I am a supporter of AUKUS… but that doesn’t mean that we are subservient to any other country,’ he reportedly told the crowd.
During his meeting with President Xi, Albanese is expected to push back against Beijing’s calls for greater cooperation on artificial intelligence, amid mounting security concerns in the West over Chinese technology.
Australian officials travelling with Albanese have been instructed to leave both personal and government devices behind.
Instead, they will use temporary ‘burner’ phones and laptops for the duration of the trip, reflecting persistent concerns over cyber espionage.
Albanese will also push to promote the potential for deeper business ties with China, alongside a high-level Business Council of Australia delegation.
The group includes CEOs from 14 of the nation’s leading companies, among them Rio Tinto, BHP, Fortescue Metals Group, ANZ, and Macquarie Group.
Albanese will arrive in Shanghai on Saturday, before going on to Beijing.
