China has issued a chilling warning to Australians declaring a ‘heavy attack’ would quickly follow if our forces came to the defence of Taiwan.
In explosive comments published in Chinese tabloid The Global Times on Saturday, editor-in-chief Hu Xijin was blunt in his analysis of Australia’s promise to come to Taiwan’s aid should US allied forces get involved in the conflict.
‘If Australian troops come to fight in the Taiwan Straits, it is unimaginable that China won’t carry out a heavy attack on them and the Australian military facilities that support them,’ Mr Xijin tweeted.
“So Australia should be ready to make sacrifices for Taiwan Island and the US.
These ominous words may be related to Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s Friday comments, in which he implied that Aussie troops would help the US if Taiwan is attacked.
Hu Xijin (pictured), editor-in-chief at The Global Times has said that Australia would be attacked if it defends Taiwan.
In an ominous tweet, Mr Xijin warned Australia that Australia ‘better not be ready to sacrifice’
Peter Dutton (Australian Defence Minister) explained this week, how Australia will help Taiwan.
Dutton believed that Australia would be in a position of strength worldwide if the move was made.
He stated that China has been clear in their intentions to invade Taiwan. We need to ensure that our country is well prepared and capable of deterring them. That is what I believe will put us in a strong position,’ he said to The Australian.
“It would not be possible that we wouldn’t support the US for an action, if they chose that action.”
Daily Mail Australia spoke to Professor Peter Dean who is Chair of Defence Studies and the Director of UWA’s Defence and Security Institute. He said that October war in the region was possible within five- or six years.
“You can’t exclude the possibility of using force.” He said that if the Chinese think they have the ability to take Taiwan forcefully, win, and succeed, then they might be encouraged to do something stupid.
“We have seen them become much more dangerous in the recent years under Xi Jinping because he has become more autoritarian.”
Experts warn that the Chinese will invade Taiwan within five- to six years. This would lead to the US and other allies like Australia being forced to protect Taiwan.
Professor Dean however stated that it was the so-called “grey zone warfare”, in which China signals its stance on Taiwan’s aircraft defence identification zones (ADIZ), and the biggest current security risk, that is most dangerous.
“Chinese are really at high risk for an accidental incident or someone getting trigger-happy,” he stated.
“The biggest risk to the region’s stability is that there are no formal and effective mechanisms for de-escalating this situation.
“The Chinese are very bold, coercive and raising risk levels to levels that they shouldn’t.”
Since 1949 when Taiwan was made the Republic of China, by Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Kuomintang (now the Nationalist Kuomintang), the Chinese Communist Party has claimed Taiwan. They fled mainland China during the civil war.
China regards the Republic of China as an independent country. China considers China a separate province.
Diplomatically speaking, Australia and the US acknowledge that Beijing is the government.
To maintain diplomatic relations between China and the United States, they must insist that Taiwan is not officially recognized.
The US, however, has already sold Taiwan billions of dollars in arms and repeatedly stated that it will help protect Taiwan from any military threats. This is despite an American policy of “strategic uncertainty”.
At Friday’s same address, Dutton also explained the reasons why French submarine deals worth $90 billion had to be rejected.
“If the Americans had not informed France earlier, they would have made the information public. They wouldn’t have followed our advice. The Americans might have ended the agreement due to the French violent response,” he stated.
Daily Mail Australia spoke to Professor Peter Dean, Head of Defence Studies and Director at UWA’s Defence and Security Institute. He said that October war was possible in the region in five- or six years.
The Australian government was accused by the French ambassador in Australia earlier this month of an alleged’stab in their back’ because it cancelled a contract to buy 12 French submarines. It caused a continuing diplomatic crisis
Australia’s defence minister went on to reject the notion from US President Joe Biden that the cancellation of the contract and announcement of AUKUS were poorly handled, insisting ‘it was was choreographed to the minute’.
The Australian ambassador to France accused Australia of being a stab in the back for cancelling a contract to purchase 12 French submarines earlier this month. This caused a diplomatic crisis.
Jean-Pierre Thebault claimed that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had intended to deceive France, before he renounced the contract and instead forged a partnership between the US nuclear submarine fleets with the UK.
‘This decision was deliberately kept secret for months, even years,’ Mr Thebault told the National Press Club in Canberra on November 3.
Thebault stated that Australia didn’t consult France on the possible use of nuclear-powered submarines, and instead turned its back upon its ally to announce an AUKUS partnership.
Dutton was unimpressed by the French $90billion submarine deal.
Scott Morrison has conceded Mr Macron was not aware of negotiations with the US and the UK
‘The way this Australian government decided to turn its back on our solemn and far reaching partnership without ever frankly consulting with France, when there were countless opportunities, without having shared frankly and openly, or having looked for alternatives with France, is just out of this world,’ he said.
In a press conference on September 16 with Boris Johnson, Mr Biden and Mr Morrison, Mr Morrison declared his intention to cancel the French subcontract. The new alliance between the countries was called AUKUS.
Morrison is calling for the creation of nuclear-powered submarines in US and UK designs by 2040. These submarines will be faster, more stealthy, longer-lasting, and safer than standard submarines.
Although Mr Macron did not know about negotiations with the US, and the UK at the time of his visit to the UK in June, the Prime Minister admitted that Australia had begun consulting them on possible submarine options.
He claimed he did not lie to President Macron, but Mr Thebault stated that his leader was “misled” and that this was just a fabrication among the allies.