Australia asks China to explain the “unusual” military extension

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marl urged China to explain why it needs “such an unusual military increase”.

He said that Beijing needed to ensure great transparency and assurance, as it is a “fundamental question” for the region.

Meanwhile, the Defense Minister of the Philippine Gilbert Tedora -Jellor called China “absolutely irresponsible and ill -advised” in his actions in the South -Chinese Sea.

Ministers separately addressed journalists on the sidelines of the Asian Defense Summit in Singapore.

China has not yet responded to the march or theodore.

Organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies of Analytical Centers, Shangri-La Dialogue is traditionally enshrined in the United States and China, which sought power in the region.

This year, China sent a lower level delegation and made a speech. In the absence of a strong Chinese presence in the dialogue, criticism and Beijing issues posed by the United States and its allies are dominated.

On Sunday morning, Marls claimed that “what we saw from China is the largest increase in military capabilities and accumulated in the usual sense of any country since the end of World War II.”

He not only told the size of the military increase, he told reporters.

“The fact is that this happens without strategic assurance. This happens without a clear strategic intention in China … What we want to see is a strategic transparency and strategic assurance, and understanding why it is necessary to have such an unusual military increase.”

He cited Australia as an example of such transparency, noting that Canberra opens his national defense and defense review strategy, and makes it “quite understandable” that when they create protection, it is for the safety of Australia and Asia.

“So, there is complete strategic clarity and confidence that Australia is provided for our neighbors to the region in the world. This is what we would like to see,” he said.

Answering the question on highly sutured Chinese military exercises In February, held near Australia and Water New Zealand, Marles said that although it was “devastating and we believe it could be done better”, in the end, “China acted in accordance with international law.”

“The managing light, the basis here, must be the fulfillment of international law. This is what we continue to talk about is the order based on the rules.”

Marla was also asked about HEGSET’s call for the Indo-Pacific partners to increase defense costs as a construction party against China’s threat.

Marle said, “We actually take steps along the way … We understand it, we are for that.” US President Donald Trump has called on Australia to increase his expenses to 3%, but Canberra is still publicly owed.

Marle added that part of these costs would come under Aukus, Australia, UK and US Pact to create a submarine park that operates on the nuclear.

He said the projects under the pact were “on the way”, and he was “very optimistic” about progress, including more visits of American submarines to Australia and rotation through the Pertot based on the Pert.

In a separate interview with BBC Security correspondent Frank Gardner, Defense Minister Philippin Theodore said that China was “absolutely irresponsible and ill -advised in the assignment of the majority, if not everyone, the South China Sea, and the world cannot tolerate it.”

Both countries have repeatedly encountered the competing claims in the South -Chinese Sea, and the Philippines complained about the aggressive and rigid coastal tactics.

He repeated the call to maintain an international order, saying that “the departure of many defense ministers is that Europe and the US should continue to lead.”

“It was a call of the Philippines. It is a call of Lithuania, Latvia, smaller countries that have a lifestyle that appreciates the freedom and dignity of man.”

“And with a lifestyle that we do not want a deep condition to look through our shoulders or afraid of what we say,” he said, citing China.

Saturday to US Secretary of Defense was Pete Hegset warned of the “inevitable” threat of China against Taiwan And the accused of Beijing was that he became a “hegeman force” in the region.

China vigorously attacked HEGSET in two separate statements, and the latter are available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the beginning of Sunday.

It states that Hegset “knocked out China with defamatory accusations and called China falsely” threatening “.

“No country in the world deserves it to be called hegeman’s power except the US itself, which is also a major factor that undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Previously at the defense summit French President Emmanuel Macron has taken the step In order for Europe to be a new ally in Asia.

China also responded to Macron, which compared Taiwan’s defense with the defense of Ukraine, and said the comparison was “unacceptable” because “the Taiwanese issue is completely Chinese.”

China claims that Taiwan, a self -directed island as its territory and did not rule out the use of force, to eventually “reunite” with it.