Defence

By James Laurenceson

Note: This article appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 8 2017.

Continuity, and no willingness to run American-style freedom of navigation

Australia’s position on the South China Sea remains pragmatic, unchanged over the last few years.

There is no evidence that hawkish calls for Australia to run American-style freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) directed at China have influenced the policy of the Turnbull Government.

Those calls had been made by three US admirals on at least three separate occasions between the dates February 22 2016 and December 14 2016.

With a new Philippines President, an arbitral ruling and a new US administration soon to take office, where stands the tension over competing claims in the South China Sea?

In Canberra on November 23 ACRI presented a first-rank panel: Hugh White, Professor of Strategic Studies, School of International, Political & Strategic Studies, ANU; Greg Austin, School of Engineering and Information Technology Australian Centre for Cyber Security; and Allan Gyngell, Visiting Fellow at the National Security College and an Adjunct Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy.

By James Laurenceson

This article originally appeared in the Australian Financial Review, August 9 2016.

The potential sale of NSW electricity distributor Ausgrid to a Chinese company is bedevilled by questions about national security. On Sunday Treasurer Scott Morrison said those questions will be his "prime consideration" in deciding whether to allow the deal to go ahead.

By James Laurenceson and Hannah Bretherton

This article originally appeared in the East Asia Forum

The former Liberal Prime Minister lends support to a pragmatic and realist Australian policy on the South China Sea.

In an address to the Griffith Asia Institute on April 20 2016 former Australian Prime Minister John Howard said:

I think this issue should continue to be dealt with in the patient but firm manner thus far exhibited by both Australia and the United States…Principles should not be compromised, but likewise we should guard against overreaction…[1]

The United States is conducting freedom of navigation patrols within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-claimed territory in the South China Sea. This fact sheet summarises Australia’s current position regarding freedom of navigation operations and spells out future options.

The Admiral Asks

By Bob Carr

Note: this article appeared in the Australian Financial Review

Australia has every right to send patrols through international waters in line with our understanding of international law. In the wake of voyage of the USS Lassen on October 27, the US may expect it. Even expect that we do it bow to bow with American patrols.

On October 27 a United States navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Lassen, sailed within a 12 nautical mile zone of a Chinese-built formation in the Spratly Islands. The US is reportedly calling on allies to join such freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS). This survey shows that if Australia responded it would probably be alone.

Japan