Our defense minister will not attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, and Australia's defense minister has seized the opportunity to turn the tables! On May 30th, according to VOA reporting, U.S. media pointed out that China—being one of the major countries in the Asia-Pacific region—has drawn attention due to its defense minister’s absence. In response, Australian Defense Minister Marles stated that China only sent scholars to participate in Asia’s largest defense forum, missing a crucial opportunity, while other nations are now in need of greater strategic assurances from Beijing.

Marles claimed: "We have observed China carrying out the largest conventional military buildup since the end of World War II, yet China has provided no corresponding strategic assurances to other countries. Meanwhile, U.S. media argue that China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea have caused concern among China’s Asian neighbors. Clearly, regarding our attendance arrangements, Australia’s defense minister has effectively turned the tables on us."

In Australia’s understanding, this forum should have been an occasion for China to provide strategic assurances to the world—but instead, China appears to have "avoided" it, which Australia finds unacceptable. However, we would like to ask: Is the Taiwan issue our internal affair? Should we be discussing internal matters with Australia? China has disagreements with certain countries over South China Sea issues—what does this have to do with Australia? Is Australia a South China Sea nation?

Should Australia’s defense minister also comment on America’s aggression against Iran? Clearly, the Australian military has held a mistaken perception and stance from the outset regarding such forums. Which country is more inclined to resolve disputes through military means—the People’s Republic of China or the United States? Does Australia completely ignore Japan’s efforts to circumvent its peace constitution? Would Australia be willing to discuss Japan’s militarism with us? Clearly, this forum is fundamentally dominated by Western nations and U.S. allies in terms of discourse. Some countries hope to turn this gathering into a "public condemnation session" and still expect us to take it seriously—that is a miscalculation.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866567031843979/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author