Australia’s defence minister Richard Marles has called on China to explain why it needs to have “such an extraordinary military build-up”.
On Sunday morning, Marles asserted that “what we have seen from China is the single biggest increase in military capability and build up in conventional sense, by any country since the end of the Second World War”.
It is not just the size of the military build-up that concerns other countries, he told reporters.
“It’s the fact that it is happening without strategic reassurance. It’s happening without a clear strategic intent on the part of China… what we want to see is strategic transparency and strategic reassurance be provided by China, and an understanding of why it is needed to have such an extraordinary military build-up.”
Even without Taiwan. broadly gestures at everything
Russia has proved to be unreliable. USA are proving to be unreliable. Europe is building up its own armies. India is fighting Pakistan. Who knows how big Israel wants to be, they are already attacking neighbours.
No idea what’s happening in Africa. I think most of them are still stuck fighting amongst themselves.
Maybe Australia is just asking the question so that they have an excuse to build up as well.