Chinese action threatens Australia's national security Marise Payne

New Delhi: In the Two Plus Two discussion held recently, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said that Australia, alongside India, expects a secure, stable Indo-Pacific region that respects the sovereignty of all other nations. Even though she did not name it directly, Foreign Minister Payne stated that China’s actions in that region would challenge the sovereignty of other nations and cause destabilisation. However, in a programme organised by an Australian think tank earlier, the Australian foreign minister had outlined her stance about China extensively.

Moreover, Payne also criticised that some of China’s actions threaten Australian national security. Some of China’s actions challenge Australian security interests, Foreign Minister Payne said. Hence, the Australia-China relations are strained; Chinese bullying is responsible for it. Moreover, the Sino-Australian relations will remain strained further as well. This is due to China’s policy of establishing dominance and disrespecting the sovereignty of other nations, Minister Payne expressed during the talks. Over the last few months, the Australian PM, Foreign Minister and senior officials have been cautioning about the possible threat to Australia due to China’s activities.

So, China outraged and openly warned Australia of dire consequences. Besides, Foreign Minister Payne cited the Chinese Embassy’s open criticism before the Australian media. Thus, she said, the media houses in Australia are not restricted. So, the Chinese Embassy could criticise before the press. Australia grants independence to media and universities. So, when such a nation decides because of the threat to its national security, it is speaking responsibly, the Australian Foreign Minister slammed China with this statement.

Over the past few years, China has infiltrated Australia, ranging from internal politics to media houses. China was trying to encircle Australia by investing in the strategic sector. Moreover, Australian leaders had started to voice against such Chinese plots. Hence, when Scott Morrison became Australia’s Prime Minister, he launched a crackdown on Chinese conspiracies. Furthermore, he also exposed sensitive information about China and used it to warn China.

In its closed political system, China does not show any generosity and grant concessions to other countries. However, China has used the open democratic political setup of Australia and other nations to spread its influence in those nations. So, the Scott Morrison government in Australia has taken a firm stand against it.

After that, China started a series, threatening Australia with dire consequences. The Chinese embassy in Australia has started using crude language that surmounts political boundaries. Moreover, the Chinese representatives had threatened Australia in bilateral discussions. Hence, the Australian foreign minister has revealed these instances before the Indian think tank.