Greens’ question China sealane threat as AUKUS in-doubt
A Greens senator has cast doubt on the threat from China as the AUKUS submarine pact faces renewed pressure.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge has questioned whether China would seek to shut sealanes with Australia and warned Canberra not to “go down a warpath with Washington” as debate over the future of the AUKUS agreement heats up.
The military pact faced renewed pressure this week, including rebellion from within the Labor ranks, after it was revealed Australia would receive three used Virginia Class submarines from the United States, rather than two used and one new vessel.
Senator Shoebridge, a fierce critic of AUKUS, urged for a “very realistic view about China” on Sunday.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“We should be looking at what our region is doing, which is trying to come up with a balanced approach to China and not go down a warpath with Washington,” he told the ABC, noting Beijing’s military build-up in the South China Sea.
“The warpath with Washington is one of the most dangerous responses we can have to the growing of a significant regional power … we should have a complex relationship with China, but it shouldn’t be entirely managed through Washington’s bottom line.”
Asked whether there was a risk China would seek to close sealanes upon which Australia relies, Senator Shoebridge said any nation with a significant military “can exercise that military in their national interest”.
Pressed, he questioned “why would China shut down the sea lanes linking Australia and China, which delivers critical and essential materials into the Chinese economy?”
“Well, I think if there was a conflict between the US and China, well, then indeed global trade is at risk,” he said.
“I think we should be very frank about that. If there is a significant conflict between the US and China, well, then not only are sea lanes at risk, our entire region is at risk and the world’s economy is at risk...”
Addressing AUKUS, Senator Shoebridge said Australia needed to be able to defend its “maritime approaches”.
“We need to be able to defend continental Australia. We need to be able to defend our air and sea domain,” he said.
“But, the idea that an economy the size of Australia can have a global policing role on sea lanes...”
Asked whether Australia needed submarines, Senator Shoebridge said they were “one option”, and that Australia’s should have a mix of manned and unmanned platforms.
“I think the question of very expensive, vulnerable crewed submarines is an open question in defence circles,” he said.
However, when pressed on what assets Australia needed, Senator Shoebridge said “it’s not my job to work out the defence portfolio purchases”.
“I can tell you one thing, nuclear submarines are a disaster on pretty much every front,” he said.
“Why are we inviting ourselves to a US war with China?”
It comes after former Labor minister Peter Garrett announced this week a public inquiry into the AUKUS agreement.
The decade-spanning agreement has faced questions amid fears about shipbuilding capacities in the United States and the United Kingdom, and whether those countries – in particular Washington – would sign-off on delivering the submarines given the current threat environment.
Concerns have also been raised about Australia’s sovereign control over the vessel, in particular in the event of a US war with China.
This week, former Labor minister and current backbencher Ed Husic called for a rethink of the AUKUS agreement.
Originally published as Greens’ question China sealane threat as AUKUS in-doubt
