Marles’ speech will canvass the issue in front of leading defence and military officials and politicians from across the region as well as the US and Europe, repeating Australia’s claim that China has displayed repeated “unsafe and unprofessional behaviour”. He will also cite the use of sonar pulses by a Chinese warship while Australian naval divers were in East China Sea waters in November.
He will also condemn the use of water cannons and ramming tactics by Chinese vessels against Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea as a “serious escalation of tensions” and China’s military drills last week aimed at Taiwan.
“PLA exercises that practice attacks and blockades of Taiwan do not inspire confidence that China prioritises – or is planning for – a peaceful settlement to the status of this island and its 22 million people,” he will say.
This year’s dialogue, the pre-eminent Asia-Pacific defence summit, marked the first time in 18 months that the US and China’s defence chiefs have held face-to-face talks, with Chinese state media reporting on Friday that Dong had met with US defence secretary Lloyd Austin.
In a 75-minute meeting, the pair discussed Taiwan, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the conflict in Gaza, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters on the sidelines of the summit.
Austin expressed concern about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, including after the island’s presidential election and the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te this month, US Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement, while Dong warned Austin that the US should not interfere in China’s affairs with Taiwan, Wu said.
Marles’ attendance at the dialogue comes as fresh concerns over the future of Australia’s submarine program were canvassed at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra.
Officials from the Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) – which builds and sustains submarines for the navy – told hearings on Friday that three of the nation’s six Collins-class submarines will be out of the water and unavailable for service for most of this year.
The ASC officials said that HMAS Sheean is under full-cycle docking at the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide and had been suffering unusual corrosion issues. Sheean will be joined by HMAS Rankin in coming weeks, with maintenance work to continue until Christmas.
Difficulties with the ageing submarines raises questions about the feasibility of an expensive and complicated life-of-type-extension program designed to keep the Collins-class boats in the water through the 2030s as nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines begin to arrive from the US.
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HMAS Farncomb is in mid-cycle docking at the Henderson shipyards in Western Australia, with its return to the water expected to take until October.
Liberal Senator Birmingham said the fact that half the nation’s submarine fleet would be out of service at once for the first time since 2012 “should be sending alarm bells through the Albanese government”.
“The government must get on top of these delays so as not to endanger the Collins life-of-type-extension program and ensure continuity of submarine capability prior to AUKUS deliveries of nuclear-powered submarines,” he said.
with Reuters
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