Last week, Chinese coast guard vessels rammed and shot water cannon at Philippine ships in the South China Sea. The incident was well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and was completely unprovoked.
It is the latest example of a sustained pattern of Chinese maritime coercion that has intensified over the past three years. Despite the growing frequency and sheer aggression of these tactics, international attention and official rebukes have noticeably waned in the past 12 months.
For Australia, a nation whose prosperity and security relies on maritime trade, there can be no room for complacency or desensitisation. China’s maritime aggression puts Australia at risk.
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History teaches that once coercion goes unchecked, it tends to escalate. The incident last week is not an isolated provocation, but part of a continued deterioration of security in the waters around us.
Australia has both the right and the responsibility to challenge the normalisation of this kind of maritime aggression. We can push back by calling out each incident, continuing to deepen our regional partnerships, accelerating the development of our naval capabilities, and reinforcing international maritime law.
Our future prosperity, and the security of generations to come, depends on it.
Canada increased military cooperation with Australia in the Indo-Pacific already in 2024, the EU is seeking a new defence alliance with Australia. And so did South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and a lot of others with shared values.
As an addition: Nato is not destroyed. Canada and the EU partners will have to rethink its cooperation, but this is what they have already been doing for some time. Australia is certainly one partner in this new global security architecture.
And this is a very positive thing for Australia and Canada. The closer the ties the better, both countries have a huge amount in common culturally and economically. Oz NZ & Canada are very much brothers and we should support each other.
I am very positive about the steps towards closer alliance that are being taken by NATO-1 since the Tangerine Palpatine took office.