China

[ElwoodBlues1]

Some eight weeks ago, then Foreign Minister Payne was hosting a Liberal Party fundraiser while her assistant was in the Solomon Islands trying unsuccessfully to stop the pact with China.

Contrast that with new Foreign Minister Wong’s hands on approach to our South Pacific neighbours and the scuttling of China’s security pact.

In defence of Payne, it seems that she wanted to do more in the South Pacific but was blocked by her colleagues.  That said, her authoritarian approach was more likely to put our neighbours offside.

On the big stick side of foreign affairs, the new Government is reportedly considering buying three additional air warfare destroyers and stop-gap submarines; a significant increase in our defensive and force projection capabilities.

The Chinese are doing separate deals now with the nations who have what they want in terms of land position, harbours, docks to give them military advantage.They don't need the pact and will have half of them signed up when they get Tonga on board who have told us to butt out of their business.
We need missile bases with better air defense capabilities to bring planes and inboard missiles down as well to have range and coverage. Happy to have a couple of extra destroyers, subs but we have to have more attack capabilities as a deterrent..imho.