Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has refused to say if Chinese warships were “targeting our cities” when they carried out exercises off Australia’s vast coast earlier this year.
The Australian Defence Force revealed in February it was tracking two People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) frigates and a replenishment vessel in the Coral Sea, off Queensland.
They passed within 150 nautical miles (278km) east of Sydney as they moved south and conducted live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea without notifying Canberra or air traffic controllers.
The Albanese government has kept tight-lipped on what the Chinese flotilla’s mission was, even amid fears AUKUS could be on the rocks, Australia trailing its allies in defence spending and warnings Beijing poses an “imminent” threat to the region.
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MisterFrog@aussie.zone 6 days ago
This reads as you would expect from Newscorp. The way it’s written is clearly biased towards a US agenda.
“Targeting our cities” seems like a weird way to put this, seems like emotionally charged language.
At no point does the article actually mention how the Chinese were targeting Australia cities.
Unless they’re actually firing something at a city, is it targeting? Intimidating perhaps? Even then, they just passed by.
The deputy PM’s response makes way more sense than what this piece seems to be implying.
It then straight up puts forward the American agenda on military spending and the strategic interests of Taiwan. Unlike the Australian side where it just quotes, it straight up takes a position for the Americans.
There’s so much actual stuff to be criticising China for, but this passing by isn’t one of them.
This shit is manufacturing consent for a future war with the US and China. If the US want to get into a war over Taiwan, that’s none of our business. We are a middle power, and have a tiny military. Joining another war for the US would be a huge mistake. Especially against another superpower.
The current government seems on the money on this one, and absolutely fucking stupid when it comes to backing the US strikes again Iran.