Henderson Shipyard upgrade: China military says AUKUS plans put country in ‘increasingly precarious position’

Plans to upgrade Western Australia’s Henderson shipyard for US nuclear-powered submarine deployments have been heavily criticised by China’s military which warns the AUKUS endeavour will lead to “severe negative consequences for regional security.” As Beijing steps up its attacks on Australia’s growing defence ties with the United States, The Nightly can also reveal two Chinese ice breakers are soon scheduled to visit Fremantle as they make their way to Antarctica for research during summer. Research produced by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of military science this week examines the Albanese government’s recent $12 billion announcement to upgrade and transform the Henderson precinct south of Perth. “Analysts believe that while the Australian government’s initiation of this large-scale and long-term defence facility construction may appear to be aimed at enhancing Australia’s own defence capabilities, it is, in fact, closely aligned with the US push to implement its Indo-Pacific Strategy,” the Chinese researchers write. “However, this move not only places Australia in an increasingly precarious position but also poses a significant challenge to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, which has been built on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). “Additionally, it adds complexity to the security landscape in the Asia-Pacific region, potentially leading to severe negative consequences for regional security,” the PLA authors claim. Under AUKUS, American and British nuclear-powered boats are scheduled to begin regular deployments to Western Australia’s HMAS Stirling naval base under the Submarine Rotational Force West (SRF-West) initiative from 2027. Last month during a White House meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump, the US Navy Secretary spoke about the value of having a submarine presence in Western Australia. Invited by President Trump to make some remarks about AUKUS Secretary John Phelan described the rotational force as “very important to our ability to project power in the Indo-Pacific and work with allies”. “I think what we’re really trying to do is take the original AUKUS framework and prove it for all three parties, and make it better, and clarify some ambiguity that was in the prior agreement — so, it should be a ‘win-win’ for everybody,” the Navy Secretary added. Western Australia’s preparations for the arrival of nuclear powered submarines have been prominent at this week’s International maritime exposition being held in Sydney involving hundreds of defence companies. Several federal politicians, including Defence Minister Richard Marles, have visited the military fair which was targeted by pro-Palestine protestors on Monday. Shadow Defence Minister and possible future Liberal party leader Angus Taylor also attended the expo and told The Nightly it was great to be away from Canberra while Parliament was sitting. “I really enjoyed being here, it’s just nice to be talking to people who are the engine room of our defence industry,” Mr Taylor said when asked if he was missing being in party room meetings. Fellow Liberal MP Phil Thompson, who joined Mr Taylor in Sydney, has revealed he was inadvertently hit by capsicum spray on Monday as anti-war activists clashed with police. “The protesters got quite close to where I was walking, and, you know there wasn’t a job between them, and they attacked the police and the police horse,” Mr Thompson said. “The police used up some pepper spray and some tear gas stuff, and the wind changed, and I got caught in the middle of it, and had to go spend some time in the shower. I’ve had to throw out some shirts.” “It clears the sinuses out, but it’s definitely not a pleasurable experience,” the Queensland MP told The Nightly.

Breaking the ice

Meantime, maritime tracking data obtained by The Nightly has revealed two Chinese icebreaking research vessels, the Xue Long and Xue Long 2 are heading south towards Antarctica for the summer but are first scheduled to stop off at Fremantle. Beijing has declared there is no “geopolitical motive” behind its rapid expansion of its operations in Antarctica, including new plans for a seasonal station on the vast icy continent. More than 50 countries operate research bases across Antarctica, including Australia, which has three permanent stations, and the Tasmanian government has encouraged Chinese research vessels to stopover in the southern state. This week Australia’s domestic spy chief, ASIO boss Mike Burgess, accused Beijing of widespread intellectual property theft and political meddling while vowing to continue calling out Chinese Communist Party threats to Australian interests.