Sandy Macdonald (NSW, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I want to make some very brief comments on the report of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee on China. I want to confirm that Australia’s defence relationship with China complements a very strong and growing overall bilateral relationship. Our defence engagement is focused at a strategic level and directed at activities that generate goodwill, trust and mutual understanding and increasing openness. This engagement includes senior visits and cooperation in areas of shared interests such as counterterrorism, which is of course increasingly important, peacekeeping and disaster relief.

Australia and China are cooperating in areas such as the consequence management of security, particularly of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that Senator Bartlett mentioned. This reflects Australia’s experience in this area and our mutual interests in the safety of participants and spectators. Australia and China conduct naval passage exercises when our ships visit each other’s ports and this allows the Royal Australian Navy and the navy of People’s Liberation Army to operate together and understand basic tactical instructions and manoeuvres. We do not have plans to conduct more sophisticated joint military exercises with China in the near future but we do have an ongoing relationship, which is important for both countries. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.