"Is there a possibility of war with China in the future?" ”
On the 17th, when Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton visited the United States, he encountered sharp questions from Australian media reporters. Mr. Dutton did not answer directly, saying instead pushing the blame to China, saying, "Nobody wants to see a conflict, but for Chinese, it's really a problem." ”
Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton in an interview. The picture is from the video screenshot
On the 17th, Australian Defense Secretary Peter Dutton was interviewed by the Australian media "Sky News". During the interview, the host threw out a sharp question: "Do you think there may be a war with China in the future?" ”
Dutton did not answer directly, but talked about the "Taiwan issue." "China's attitude on Taiwan is very clear, and the United States is also very clear about their intentions toward Taiwan," he said. No one wants to see conflict, but it's a question for the Chinese Chinese. ”
"For example, like in Hong Kong, whether they decide to do something to Taiwan, in this case, what is the reaction of the United States, we are allies of the United States, which has been in effect for 70 years, so we need to be realistic."
Dutton continued: "We only have a population of 25 million and we need to make sure we have the best friends in the world, and we did. Dutton listed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries, emphasizing australia's friendship with these countries.
In the interview, the host again mentioned the OKUS agreement between the United States and Britain to help Australia build nuclear submarines.
"So there is indeed such a possibility?" The moderator continued to ask: "The nuclear submarines [in the AUKUS agreement] pushed Australia to the front. ”
Mr Dutton stressed the strategic importance of nuclear submarines for Australia, saying, "This can be a deterrent for China, or other countries that want to hurt Australia." ”
Dutton declared: "Let me make it clear: we want to keep the peace. But you can't keep the peace in the position of the weak. ”
He said the AUKUS agreement provided stability to the region and showed neighboring countries that Australia was building on its own strength by maintaining its relationship with the United States and Britain.
Asked about the possibility of a "struggle" over Taiwan, Dutton said: "I don't think it should be underestimated." Dutton said, "Bases throughout the region are militarized. He pointed out that there is a lot of action and hostility between Taiwan and the mainland.
But Dutton is reluctant to accept claims that the AUKUS deal puts Australia at greater risk and actually becomes more vulnerable.
"I feel like we made this statement 70 years ago and 100 years ago, and in every major battle of the 20th century, we were with the United States and Britain," he said.
However, Dutton also acknowledged that cooperation with the United States and Britain is the foundation of Australia's national security. "Until the next century, we have an obligation to ensure that this cooperation is deepened, because that is the foundation of our national security," he said. ”
"It doesn't make sense for us to pretend that if we order 100 submarines tomorrow, we can compete with a superpower like China."
While Dutton's answer did not give a positive answer, the Headline of the Australian News Network was "Peter Dutton's Blunt Warning about the Prospect of Possible War in China."
In response to reports that the Australian media seem to be intent on creating conflict, Twitter netizens did not buy it. Some netizens said bluntly: "We all know the potential danger, but it is a stupid thing to openly provoke a war." ”
"Dutton said that going to war with China 'is a problem for Chinese' and that they wouldn't mind waiting another 20 years for our toy submarines to be ready?"
"How many submarines are made of Chinese steel, electronic equipment, etc."?"
Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made it clear that the cooperation between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia in nuclear submarines has seriously undermined regional peace and stability, intensified the arms race, and undermined international nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The export of highly sensitive nuclear submarine technology by the United States and Britain to Australia proves once again that they have adopted double standards in nuclear exports as a tool of geopolitical games, which is extremely irresponsible.
Zhao Lijian pointed out that Australia has introduced nuclear submarine technology of strategic military value, and the international community, including neighboring countries, has reason to question Australia's sincerity in abiding by its nuclear non-proliferation commitments. At present, the responsibility for the difficult situation in China-Australia relations lies entirely with the Australian side, and the top priority is for the Australian side to face up to the crux of the setback in the relations between the two countries, seriously consider whether to regard China as a partner or a threat, and earnestly uphold the principle of mutual respect and equal treatment and the spirit of comprehensive strategic partnership to handle bilateral relations. Do more things that are conducive to enhancing mutual trust between the two countries and promoting pragmatic cooperation.
As for the Taiwan issue, the Chinese side has stressed on many occasions that Taiwan is China's territory, that the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair, and that China will never allow any country to meddle in the Taiwan issue in any way.
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