PM accused of ‘weakness’ as China, Russia team up in the Indo-Pacific

The opposition says China and Russia are “testing” Australia with joint naval drills in the Western Pacific due to Anthony Albanese’s “weakness” on defence. China and Russia are carrying out joint patrols in the Western Pacific after wrapping up five days of war games near Vladivostok – a coastal military hub in Russia’s far east that is home to the country’s Pacific fleet. Crews executed live fire drills and practised taking out enemy submarines, according to the Chinese military. While some vessels have headed back to their home ports, others have gone on to prowl in international waters, including some of China’s most advanced battleships. “Crews of the Russian Navy and China’s PLA Navy will form a new task group to carry out joint patrol missions in the Asia-Pacific region,” Russia’s Interfax news agency reported, citing defence officials. Beijing’s mouthpieces have framed the patrols as “jointly countering security threats” and a testament to “deepening of China-Russia military ties”. “The routine joint maritime patrol in the region not only showcases the two navies’ capabilities, but also demonstrates their firm determination in safeguarding regional peace and stability, deterring potential security threats, and creating a favourable environment for peaceful development in the region,” according to the Global Times, a leading propaganda outlet for the Chinese Communist Party. Doing its best to imitate a Western-style publication, the Global Times is often used to circulate the CCP’s various pet peeves and routinely takes scathing shots at Australia. But however Chinese state media has spun the joint operations, the opposition says it is anything but innocent and the Prime Minister is, at least in part, to blame. “China and Russia are flexing their muscles in the region and testing democratic nations with their ‘no-limits’ partnership,” acting opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie told NewsWire. “While concerning, this is not surprising. They are testing us because they see weakness in Prime Minister Albanese. “The Prime Minister has set a dangerous precedent by repeatedly refusing to stand up for our Australian Defence Force. “Australia must show strength, and we’re not seeing it from Labor.” Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles did not respond to a request for comment on the patrols or naval exercises. China’s Shaoxing and Urumqi destroyers are among the ships out on patrol. Entering service in 2022 and 2018, they are prized examples of China’s most recent wave of naval modernisation and fitted with the latest military hardware. Their vertical launch systems can fire a smorgasbord of guided weapons, including long-range surface-to-air missiles. They are also equipped with anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles and anti-submarine capabilities. Russia’s Admiral Tributs, a large anti-submarine destroyer, is also partaking in the patrols. They come a day after the Albanese government announced it picked a Japanese firm to build Australia’s new fleet of “next-generation” warships in record time. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build 11 Mogami-class frigates to replace the ANZAC-class fleet, which the Navy has been operating since World War II. Australia is expected to get its first Japanese-built frigate by 2029 and its third by 2034, with the remaining eight to be built in Western Australia. But, like the AUKUS submarines, the delivery timeline is still well after when the US expects a conflict in the Indo-Pacific. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year warned of an “imminent” threat to the region, pointing to Taiwan as a flashpoint. With the People’s Liberation Army simulating invasions, he told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China could move on the democratically self-governing island as early as 2027. On the sidelines of the conference, he also urged the Albanese government to hike Australia’s military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP in a meeting with Mr Marles. Mr Albanese and Mr Marles have firmly pushed back on the request, saying it has already committed record billions to mid and long-term defence projects, such as AUKUS. Analysts from Brussels to Canberra have long-warned of Beijing and Moscow forging stronger defence ties. The allies signed a “no-limits” strategic partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Xi Jinping has not publicly backed Vladimir Putin’s war, but China has pumped hundreds of billions into the Russian economy, undermining international sanctions.