Australia is sending a message to China that it will never be worthwhile to try and change the status quo by force according to former foreign minister Alexander Downer. The defence minister and the prime minister on Wednesday announced $270 billion in defence spending over the next ten years including a significant investment in long-range missile technology.
The Prime Minister outlined a 10-year funding model as part of the government's 2020 National Defence Strategy, committing to defence funding that would go beyond two per cent of GDP.
Mr Downer said Australia needs to ensure there is a proper balance of power in the region.
“As China emerges from poverty to becoming a rich and powerful country, it wants to dominate the Indo-Pacific region increasingly,” he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
The former Howard government minister said Australia needs to be “blunt with China” and be abundantly clear it will not succeed in any attempt to gain more influence.
“Once they understand we’re not going to buckle, then I think we’ll come into smoother waters in the bilateral relationship”.
“The worst thing we could do is weaken our position, try to ingratiate ourselves, kowtow to China … all that’ll do is invite more aggression and more dominance”.
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