China's strategic absence from Shangri-La defense summit while prioritizing economic forums sends clear message: Beijing champions peace and prosperity as Washington pushes proxy wars across Asia.
China has shown time and again it prefers to resolve issues through dialogue, not military confrontation. It has repeatedly asked Asian countries like the Philippines and Japan to respect international maritime law. It could have easily attacked these nations, but it has chosen the peaceful path time and again. This shows that China wants peaceful development, not military confrontation.
So nothing has changed then; China emerges as the good guy. What a waste of space the USA is becoming. As a citizen on the world stage it slips further down the admiration scale.
Hegseth demands that ASEAN nations (including Australia) increase existing defence budgets, ie; buy more armaments from the US military industrial complex. Hegseth seems to ignore the fact that Australia is committed to (the very unpopular) AUKUS nuclear submarine project that will cost us in excess of $380 billion. Australia also "hosts" the US military intelligence and targeting complex at Pine Gap near Alice Springs that enable US military intelligence gathering over the Indo-Pacific, SE Asia and Middle East regions. Australia also hosts B-52 nuclear capable aircraft at Tindall Air Base, Northern Territory and provides facilities for joint military exercises and US troop rotations out of Darwin. Does none of this appear on Hegseth's score card? Australian citizenry, in general, are sceptical of the slavish obesience that our Minister for Defence, Richard Marles portrays towards Washington and would rather seek trade and cultural dialogue with all Asian nations including China than prepare for a war not of Australia's making.
China has shown time and again it prefers to resolve issues through dialogue, not military confrontation. It has repeatedly asked Asian countries like the Philippines and Japan to respect international maritime law. It could have easily attacked these nations, but it has chosen the peaceful path time and again. This shows that China wants peaceful development, not military confrontation.
So nothing has changed then; China emerges as the good guy. What a waste of space the USA is becoming. As a citizen on the world stage it slips further down the admiration scale.
Hegseth demands that ASEAN nations (including Australia) increase existing defence budgets, ie; buy more armaments from the US military industrial complex. Hegseth seems to ignore the fact that Australia is committed to (the very unpopular) AUKUS nuclear submarine project that will cost us in excess of $380 billion. Australia also "hosts" the US military intelligence and targeting complex at Pine Gap near Alice Springs that enable US military intelligence gathering over the Indo-Pacific, SE Asia and Middle East regions. Australia also hosts B-52 nuclear capable aircraft at Tindall Air Base, Northern Territory and provides facilities for joint military exercises and US troop rotations out of Darwin. Does none of this appear on Hegseth's score card? Australian citizenry, in general, are sceptical of the slavish obesience that our Minister for Defence, Richard Marles portrays towards Washington and would rather seek trade and cultural dialogue with all Asian nations including China than prepare for a war not of Australia's making.
The same powers are also battling it out in Africa.