Australian government has ‘very narrow path’ to walk on with China: ASPI Senior Fellow
ASPI Senior Fellow Mark Watson says the Albanese government has a “very narrow path” to walk on as it tries to normalise diplomatic relations with China while expressing its “absolute disgust” at a military incident over the weekend.
Australian government has ‘very narrow path’ to walk on with China: ASPI Senior Fellow
A Chinese fighter jet dropped flares in front of an Australian Navy helicopter in international waters off the coast of South Korea on Saturday evening.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has labelled the incident as unacceptable.
“It’s a very narrow path that the government has to walk on,” Mr Watson told Sky News Australia.
“On the one hand, the big strategic issue is normalising our diplomatic relations, restoring export markets for Australian exporters, and I think the government has done a very good job in going down both those paths.
“Yet, at the same time, it has to be able to express its absolute disgust, really, at this sort of provocative, dangerous behaviour that puts Australian lives at risk.”