One of Australia’s most senior intelligence figures says aspects of China’s deployment of three warships to the Tasman Sea appear “designed to be provocative”, as the naval task group continues to be closely tracked heading back towards Tasmania.
Director-general of the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) Andrew Shearer this week delivered a blunt assessment of Beijing’s strategic aims for sending the heavily armed flotilla to the region, saying it was to “shape” the behaviour of states like Australia.
He also described its recent live-fire exercises as unprecedented and said they demonstrated “China’s growing capability to project military power into our immediate region” was “now matched by an increasing intent to do so”.
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“We judge Beijing intends to normalise this sort of presence, shape the responses of those in the region, and observe and learn from our reactions,” he told the Senate estimates hearing.
“The largest and least transparent military build-up since the Second World War will mean the PLA will be able to operate at greater distances from mainland China, in greater numbers, including into Australia’s immediate seas and skies,” he said.
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Defying China’s reckless actions in the West Philippine Sea – [Comment by Victor Andres C. Manhit, president of the Stratbase ADR Institute]
Just when we thought we had seen enough of China’s mischief right in our own waters, a few days ago we learned that China outdid itself yet again.
On Feb. 18, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy helicopter performed aggressive maneuvers near a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane. The BFAR plane was a civilian one, conducting a lawful maritime patrol within Philippine territory. Without any provocation, the PLA helicopter harassed it, flying as close as three meters above the aircraft and endangering the lives of the Filipinos who were on board.
What reckless, hostile, and arrogant behavior. What a flat-out disregard of international law and, in fact, basic decency.
Then again, this incident is not isolated. On Feb. 11, the Australian government expressed grave concern about an “unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a PLA Air Force Aircraft.” It turns out that this PLA aircraft released flares in close proximity to an Australian aircraft which was conducting a routine maritime surveillance patrol in the South China Sea, flying in international airspace.
Rightly so, China’s acts of aerial mischief have earned it the condemnation of the international community.
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