Australia unveiled on Monday a major revision of its defense doctrine to thwart in particular the strengthening of China's military capabilities, against a backdrop of tensions in Asia Pacific where Beijing's influence is growing.
"
Today, for the first time in 35 years, we are redefining the mission of the Australian Defense Force
," said Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, saying the previous strategy was "no
longer fit for purpose. targeted
".
deterrence
Australia's new military doctrine now focuses on deterrence, aimed at keeping the adversary at a distance before he can reach Australian territory, and recommends the use of missiles, submarines and cybernetic tools for this.
The new strategic report from the Ministry of Defense justifies this development by strengthening Beijing's military capabilities and warns against the increase "in the
risk of military escalation or miscalculation
".
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Australian military analysts have watched China's military buildup with suspicion, fearing that Beijing's increased military capabilities could de facto cut Australia off from its trading partners and global supply chains.
Faced with this threat, the new Australian defense doctrine advocates the recruitment of soldiers as well as the strengthening of military bases in the north of the country and the expansion of the air, land and sea strike capabilities of its army.
Long Range Strike
Canberra had previously announced the development of a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines armed with cruise missiles.
On Monday, Richard Marles said the Australian Defense Force will also be given long-range strike capabilities, both land and air.
The advent of
the "missile age
" in modern warfare, crystallized by the proliferation of long-range precision strike weapons, "
has radically reduced Australia's geographic advantages
", the report concludes.
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Priority will now be given to the defense of the country's coasts and the army will have to equip itself with a "
long-range strike capability
", de facto putting a stop to the development of land military projects.
A purchase plan for 450 infantry fighting vehicles was thus revised downwards to 129 vehicles.
The announcement of this new doctrine sparked an immediate reaction from Beijing, which claims to pursue a national defense policy “
of a defensive nature
”
.
"
We pose no threat to any country
," Mao Nig, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said Monday.
"
We hope that countries will refrain from using China as an excuse to expand their military power or to hype up the Chinese threat theory
," he said.
Record figure for military spending
Although the Australian Department of Defense report only mentions "
China
" nine times, Beijing's vast military investments and China's growing influence in Asia Pacific are all factors that precipitated the advent of this new Australian military doctrine.
The document stresses on the other hand that the reinforcement of the military capacities of Beijing “
is carried out without transparency and without reassuring the Indo-Pacific region on the strategic intentions of China
”.
"
China's assertion of sovereignty in the South China Sea threatens the world order ... in the Indo-Pacific in a way that adversely impacts Australia's national interests," the report said
. report.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Chinese military spending, rising for the 28th consecutive year, hit a record high of $292 billion last year.
The return of strategic competition between China and the United States "
should be seen as the defining characteristic of our region and of our times
," the strategy report said.
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