Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is currently in the Pacific to sign a new defense alliance with Fiji. At the same time, China conducted a test of a nuclear-capable long-range missile.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he was deeply concerned. While he doubted the test was a direct response to Albanese’s Pacific trip, he called the development “deeply destabilizing.” Marles told Australian broadcaster ABC: “What we are seeing here is a long-range missile test by China, which China itself says is nuclear-capable. China is demonstrating a much greater range in its ability to deliver a nuclear weapon.”
Marles also criticized China’s massive military buildup without strategic reassurance to its neighbors. He said there is no explanation for why China is building up these capabilities. At the same time, the government announced new health and education funding for the region.
Source: www.theguardian.com
