Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Australia has requested military talks with China and is willing to move closer to the Philippines, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit on Sunday.
China and the Philippines are locked in a confrontation in the disputed South China Sea, a conflict that has become more tense as Beijing asserts its claim to a shoal that Manila says lies entirely within its exclusive economic zone.
Australia has stepped up its presence in the region, and a joint amphibious exercise with the Philippines in Palawan in August was Australia’s largest overseas exercise last year.
Australia has also said recent contacts with Chinese forces have not been safe and professional enough, and Mars said he discussed the issue with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on the sidelines of Saturday’s meeting.
“The substantive request we made when we met with China was to strengthen the defense dialogue,” Marlers told Reuters.
“We really want to eventually get it back to where it was before it was stopped, which would be the level where our chief of defense forces and our defense minister meet every year.”
Chinese defense officials met with Australian defense officials in Canberra last year, the first official meeting since 2019.
Australia has since complained about a close encounter with a Chinese jet over the Yellow Sea (OTC: ) and deployed sonar while Australian divers were in waters near Japan, which it said was dangerous.
“They can lead to very serious negative consequences. If that happens, it’s a very bad thing and we have to avoid it. That’s why it’s very important,” Mars said.
China said it had taken necessary steps to warn Australia about the plane incident and denied that its navy destroyer had used sonar near the Australian divers.
Malles also held talks with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.
“We absolutely think this is a moment where our relationship with the Philippines is really at an unprecedented level and we very much welcome it,” Marlers said.
“What we are seeing now is the strategic aspects of the relationship being put in place, which is something we very much welcome and we think the relationship will develop further.”
