[Global Network Report, by Reporter Zhao Jiandong] According to a report by The Guardian on the 21st, Australia's political arena has recently sparked intense debate over Russia's reported request to deploy military aircraft at the Manuhua Air Base on Biak Island in Indonesia. Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Torcheenov even sharply criticized Australia for "having no right or influence to interfere in Russia-Indonesia bilateral affairs," reminding Australia to be wary of the risks brought by the deployment of missiles and nuclear submarines by its ally, the United States, within its territory.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese, photo source: British media

The Jane's Defense Weekly disclosed on April 14 that in February, after a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Shoigu and Indonesian Defense Minister Shaffri Shamsudin, Russia made a request to deploy military aircraft at Biak Island's Manuhua Air Base. The Guardian reported that Biak Island is about 1,300 kilometers away from Darwin, a northern city in Australia, making the strategic location sensitive.

Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Torcheenov warned in an article published in The Jakarta Post on the 20th that Australia has neither the right nor the influence to interfere in the "strict" bilateral cooperation between Russia and Indonesia. Any proposal regarding the establishment of a Russian military base in Indonesia is irrelevant to Australia. "It's hard to imagine that ordinary Australians should worry about matters happening 1,300 kilometers away from them and involving the affairs of other sovereign states, which have nothing to do with Australia."

Satellite image of Indonesia's Manuhua Air Base, photo source: foreign media

Torcheenov also said that Australia should pay more attention to the risks posed by its security ally, the United States, particularly the missiles and nuclear submarines deployed within its territory. At the end of his article, he cited what Trump said to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House in late February this year, "You have no cards to play," implying that Australia lacks influence and voice on this issue.

The Guardian reported that in response to the aforementioned issues, Australian Prime Minister Albanese again responded at a press conference on the 21st, saying, "I oppose Russia, but I'm not sure everyone shares this view." He claimed that hyping up Russia's request was "helping Russia spread propaganda" and was not in Australia's national interest.

The report stated that the focus of current political debates in Australia does not lie in Indonesia denying the possibility of Russian military aircraft being stationed at the Manuhua Air Base, but rather whether Russia made such a request. Last week, the government refused to provide a security briefing to the opposition on the grounds that it was unnecessary, sparking strong dissatisfaction among the Australian opposition.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton criticized the government for "repeatedly dodging questions" and claimed that the rejection of their request for a security briefing indicated they had something to hide. The Guardian reported that Dutton once mistakenly said that if the Indonesian president publicly announced this matter and the government was unaware, it would be a diplomatic disaster. Later, Dutton was forced to admit that the Indonesian president had never made any statements on this matter. Albanese sarcastically commented, "Next time, they might as well ask for a 'fake moon landing' briefing."

In response to the above report by Jane's Defense Weekly, Albanese clearly stated on April 15 that "we do not want to see Russian influence in the region." Australian Defense Minister Mars said that he had communicated with Indonesian Defense Minister Shaffri, who clearly stated that "the reports about Russian military aircraft possibly taking off from Indonesia are completely untrue." The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that when asked about related reports about "Russia requesting to deploy military aircraft in Indonesia," the Kremlin responded at the time that "there is a lot of fake news."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495705933067108914/

Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by clicking the "like/dislike" button below.