US, not China, harbours greater global dominance aspirations says former ADF boss
Ex Defence Force chief says Australia should be more ‘understanding’ of China as he condemns AUKUS our worst ever defence decision.
A former defence chief has declared there is no evidence China has “global dominance aspirations” despite the rapidly growing size of its military and has called for a recalibration of Australia’s diplomatic relationship with Beijing.
Retired Admiral Chris Barrie made the assessment while unveiling a scathing new report into AUKUS which concluded the nuclear submarine deal is “the worst, riskiest and most costly defence decision ever made by an Australian government”.
“Whatever way you want to look at the future in this region, by 2050, China will be the world’s largest power, the world’s greatest power,” Admiral Barrie said on Wednesday, standing with former Labor minister Peter Garrett who also helped with AUKUS review.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I don’t see any evidence of global aspirations and global dominance aspirations that we’ve seen out of the United States. And that’s why I worry about the contest between the United States and China.”
Admiral Barrie, who served as Australia’s chief of defence between 1998 and 2002, said an urgent rethink was needed on how to approach the relationship with the country’s largest trading partner.
“I think we need to recalibrate the way we deal with China,” he said, suggesting Australia should expand and overhaul its diplomatic presence in Beijing, as well as a reassessment of the security relationship with the United States.
“I’d be looking at our embassy in Beijing. I am not sure that it’s being staffed the way it ought to be. I think it should be our second largest embassy, if not the largest embassy that we have overseas now.”
“I think we need to be more understanding about where the Chinese are coming from,” he told his National Press Club on Wednesday, which included Russia’s Ambassador Mikhail Petrakov.
Releasing their report titled Surrendering Australia, the AUKUS Deception, Admiral Barrie and Mr Garrett argued the trilateral submarine plan should be immediately scrapped.
“The report we are releasing today is very clear. The AUKUS submarine plan is untenable,” Admiral Barrie told the National Press Club.
Mr Garrett, the former Midnight Oil frontman and an anti-nuclear activist before entering parliament, warned Western Australia’s HMAS Stirling naval facility outside Perth risked becoming a “de facto US base” hosting as many as 2000 American personnel.
“Since coming to power, Labor has failed to conduct a thorough review of this most significant of defence agreements,” the former environment minister said.
“Conceived in secret, AUKUS has spurned established defence and parliamentary oversight practices.
“Where was the vigorous debate in the caucus? Where was the vigorous debate in the cabinet? We don’t have any sense that there’s been a debate.”
During their four-month inquiry, Admiral Barrie and Mr Garrett, along with other commissioners, held public hearings across the country and received more than 1000 written submissions.
Among the 17 recommendations drawn up following the inquiry was the urgent development of a cheaper alternative to replace Australia’s ageing Collins-class fleet, a review of AUKUS Pillar 2 projects on advanced defence technologies, and a National Audit Office investigation into its costs.
An Albanese Government spokesperson dismissed the inquiry’s findings, noting AUKUS had faced extensive parliamentary scrutiny and was vital to protect Australia in increasingly challenging strategic circumstances.
“AUKUS is a core pillar of the Albanese Government’s national security policy to protect our nation, interests and security,” the spokesperson told the Nightly.
“As the National Defence Strategy 2026 re-confirms, we confront the most challenging strategic circumstances since the Second World War, and we do so at a time where Australia’s economic connection with the world has never been greater.
“We need to support the development of an ADF with a much greater capacity to project so we can defend Australia and contribute to regional security and stability.”
Under the $368 billion AUKUS partnership, US and British submarines will first rotate out of WA from 2027, before second-hand Virginia-class boats are expected to be sold to Australia in the 2030s.
Then from the 2040s, Australia is hoping to start operating a new fleet of British designed nuclear-powered submarines constructed in Adelaide known as SSN-AUKUS.
