Pacific Perspective:AUSMIN 24 Focused on Containing China,Part 2

In the AUSMIN 24 statement,the Parties briefly mentioned some upgrades to facilities in Australia's Northern Territory that the U.S. and Australia were making.An article in The Washington Post went into this in more detail.The article pointed out that Australia was offering the U.S. a vast launching pad in the event of conflict with China.Across Australia,it says,many old bases were being cleaned up or upgraded,some of them dating back to the World War II era,to prepare for another global conflict.Said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles:This is about deterrence.We're working together to deter future conflict and to provide for the collective security of the region in which we live.*Australia joined AUKUS,the Australia/UK/U.S. defence Alliance,under which Australia,the U.S. and UK will provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines with sensitive technology.Of the cleaning and upgrades,Representative Michael McCaul,R-Texas,chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Commitee:This provides a central base of operations from which to project power.*A comprehensive upgrade of RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory is underway with Australia spending nearly a billion dollars so far on the project.Part of the project is a new parking apron for four of Australia's largest military aircraft,the KC-30 refueling tanker that will facilitate refueling fighter aircraft such as the RAAF Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for distant missions.The RAAF Lightning IIs are based at RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory and RAAF Williamstown in New South Wales.The U.S. also intends to build a parking apron at the base for six Boeing B-52 H/J Stratofortress strategic bombers that can reach mainland China.These would be deployed to Australia much more frequently,according to U.S. Secretary of Defense GEN Lloyd F. Austin III U.S. Army ret.Noted Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles:increasing U.S. force posture in Australia.We see that as very much in Australia's national interest.People understand that we are living through challenging times,when the global rules-based order is under pressure.*At RAAF Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory,the U.S. Marines have built a new fuel depot for their Bell Boeing MV-22 Ospreys,an aircraft that can vertically take off and land like a helicopter,but fly straight ahead like an airplane.Refueling the Ospreys could extend their range into the South China Sea;the Philippine Sea and to the Solomon Islands.Said Rep. McCaul:As Chairman Xi (Xinping) is looking out at all of this,he's feeling more deterrence.Our capabilities to respond are getting stronger.*According to BGEN Michael Say,head of Australia's Force Posture Initiative,even more upgrades are being contemplated for three skeleton facilities in remote Western Australia state and Quennsland state to accomodate heavier U.S. and Australian aircraft.In the Cocos Islands,Canberra will soon be upgrading the airstrip to accomodate heavier aircraft such as the Boeing P-8A Maritime Surveillance Aircraft,which also has anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.*Lockheed Martin (LMT),Boeing (BA), Bell Helicopter (TXT)

Pacific Perspective:AUSMIN Focused on Containing China,Part 1

Joint Statement on Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2024:Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Richard Marles on 06 AUG 2024 in Annapolis,Maryland to strengthen further the U.S.-Australian Alliance and the two countries' cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and globally.The Secretaries and Ministers (principals) reaffirmed the U.S.-Australia Alliance is essential to promoting a prosperous and peaceful region.The principals expressed the importance of history and values shared by the United States and Australia and renewed their commitment to support a stable and open international system that protects each nation's ability to make sovereign decisions free from coercion or threats of force.* The principals welcomed action by both governments that build upon the commitments made during the visit of Prime Minister Albanese in the United States and his meeting with President Biden in October 2023 across the full spectrum of the bilateral relationship,to build an "Innovation Alliance."These include 1.Australia's endorsement of the United States' Framework to Counter Foreign State Misinformation Manipulation through a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)...2.Continued progress by the Australia-U.S. Crtical Minerals Task Force (CMTF) to persue secure and diverse critical mineral supply chains,increase investment in mining and processing projects in our respective countries and enhance market transparency.*Delivering for the Indo-Pacific:The principals committed to strengthen cooperation further,bilaterally and with regional Partners and institutions;to ensure an Indo-Pacific that is open,stable,peaceful and prosperous;that promotes and protects human rights and that is respectful of sovereignty and international law...The principals stressed the need for all countries to manage strategic competition responsibly and to work to reduce risks of conflict.They emphasised the importance of maintaining open channels with China to avoid miscommunication or miscalculation that could lead to unintended escalation or conflict.The principals ecouraged China to engage constructively and take steps to promote stability and transparency...The principles underscored the importance of all states being free to exercise rights and freedom consistent with international law as consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),including freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea.They reiterated their strong oppositon to destabilising or coercive unilateral actions in the maritime domain,including in the South China Sea and the East China Sea,that increase tensions and undermine peace and stability.*The principals expressed concern about China's excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea that are inconsistent with international law and unilateral actions to change the status quo by force or coercion.They noted grave concern about China's dangerous and escalating behaviour toward Philippines vessels lawfully operating in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).The principals reaffirmed the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award as final and binding on all parties and reconfirmed their resolve to work with Partners to support regional maritime security and uphold international law.*