The US says it plans “more frequent” deployments of bomber plane to Australia amid considerations over China’s “dangerous and escalatory behaviour” within the area.
The announcement after annual talks on Wednesday builds on a long-term development of elevated rotations of American forces to Australia, together with strikes to improve Australian navy bases and pre-position US military gear in Australia.
Pushing again at criticism that this solely will increase tensions with Beijing and makes Australia an even bigger goal, the Australian authorities stated the presence of American forces “provides an enormous opportunity to work with our neighbours”.
Australia’s overseas affairs minister, Penny Wong, and the defence minister, Richard Marles, travelled to the US for annual talks with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin.
Whereas China is at all times a big subject on the agenda, the Australian and US representatives additionally used the assembly to share their fears of escalation within the Center East and to ramp up their requires a Gaza ceasefire.
“The ceasefire has been urgent for months. It’s never been more urgent than it is now,” Wong stated initially of the assembly in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday native time (Wednesday Australian time).
Blinken later instructed reporters that the US had been in fixed contact with companions throughout the area and had “heard a clear consensus [that] no one should escalate this conflict”. He stated this message had been communicated “directly” to Iran and Israel.
The Australian authorities describes the US as its “closest ally and principal security partner”. The yearly talks between the 2 allies are often known as the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, or Ausmin.
The 2 sides have ceaselessly used the talks to broaden rotational visits by US forces to Australia, often known as “force posture initiatives”.
These embrace US marines deploying to Darwin beneath a plan first put in place by the Gillard authorities and Obama administration.
Austin instructed reporters the 2 international locations agreed to “continue deepening our force posture cooperation”.
“We’re also increasing the presence of rotational US forces in Australia,” Austin stated.
“All this will mean more maritime patrol aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft operating from bases across northern Australia. It will also mean more frequent rotational bomber deployments.”
Marles stated the newest assembly had “built on the last two in seeing a deepening of American force posture in Australia”.
“American force posture now in Australia involves every domain, land, sea, air, cyber and space – so we are seeing US Army watercraft, for example, engaging in Australia,” Marles stated.
“The presence of American force posture in our nation provides an enormous opportunity to work with our neighbours in the region.”
Marles stated he and Wong had spoken with Australia’s neighbours and had heard “genuine appreciation for the contribution that America is making to the stability and the peace of the Indo-Pacific region by its presence in Australia”.
He stated this had allowed Australia and the US to conduct “a much greater range of activities and operations and exercises with our partners” together with Japan and the Philippines.
Wednesday’s agenda included taking inventory of “substantial progress” on the plan for Australia to accumulate nuclear-powered submarines beneath the Aukus safety pact.
