Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute joins Darren to discuss the troubling trend of PRC military actions that are endangering Australian personnel and equipment, and those of our partners. Last week, a Chinese fighter aircraft dropped flares into the path of an Australian helicopter that was conducting a patrol in international waters as part of sanctions-enforcement against North Korea. Australia lodged diplomatic protests and PM Albanese called the action ‘completely unacceptable’. Similar incidents have happened before. Last year Australian naval divers suffered minor injuries after a Chinese warship released sonar pulses, and there have been other aerial incidents as well.
Why are Chinese forces doing this? Can Australia respond, either unilaterally or with partners? Is an increasingly risky maritime domain now simply part of the price of protecting our interests? Zack talks Darren through his perspective on these issues.
Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Walter Colnaghi and theme music composed by Rory Stenning.
Relevant links
Andrew Greene, “Australian helicopter forced to take evasive action after Chinese fighter detonates flares”, ABC News, 6 May 2024: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-06/australian-helicopter-chines-fighter-flares-hmas-hobart/103812042
Euan Graham, “China’s latest unsafe interception at sea was no accident”, ASPI Strategist, 8 May 2024: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/chinas-latest-unsafe-interception-at-sea-was-no-accident/#:~:text=China%20habitually%20denies%20engaging%20in,endangered%20China's%20maritime%20air%20security
Sam Roggeveen, “Helicopter flare up should highlight China’s base instincts”, Lowy Interpreter, 7 May 2024: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/helicopter-flare-should-highlight-china-s-base-instincts
Corey Lee Bell and Elena Collinson, “The Yellow Sea flare incident: Expect more of the same”, ACRI Perspectives, 13 May 2024: https://www.australiachinarelations.org/content/perspectives-yellow-sea-flare-incident-expect-more-same
Nicholas Eberstadt, “East Asia’s Coming Population Collapse: And How It Will Reshape World Politics”, Foreign Affairs (online), 8 May 2024: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/east-asias-coming-population-collapse
Net Assessment (podcast): https://warontherocks.com/category/podcasts/net-assessment/
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Ep. 130: Economic security, made in Australia
Ep. 128: Sols vote; nests of spies? growing AUKUS? Palestinian statehood?
Ep. 127: A China-led international order?
Ep. 126: The international economic order—Past, present, and future
Ep. 125: Wang Yi visits Australia
Ep. 124: Ukraine, Gaza, and international order
Ep. 123: ASEAN in Melbourne
Ep. 122: Indonesia, before and after the election
Ep. 120: Where to from ”stabilisation” in Australia-China relations?
Ep. 121: Reviewing 2023; speculating about 2024
Ep. 119: When domestic policy is foreign policy (and the PM’s travels)
Ep. 118: A US perspective on Australia’s defence policy
Ep. 117: Canada-India (emergency episode)
Ep. 116: Australia’s international development policy
Ep. 115: The domestic politics of AUKUS and Pacific security pacts
Ep. 114: And we’re back. Australia-China; US-China
Allan Gyngell and Australia in the world
Ep. 112: Cold War 2?
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