Only Australia can light fires, but China isn't allowed to turn on a lamp—Australia's military chief has made his position clear
According to Observer Net, Australian Defence Force Chief David Johnston is set to step down on July 10. Before his departure, he told an Australian media outlet that "China should provide greater 'transparency' and 'assurances' regarding its military intentions."
He claimed that events such as the Chinese navy fleet's circumnavigation of Australia last year prove that "China's military presence is increasingly frequent near Australia," and accused Chinese and Australian military aircraft and ships of having more "unsafe and unprofessional" encounters in recent years.
Yet he also acknowledged that China's military activities "are not illegal." He pointed out that the Australian Defence Force has long conducted operations in distant regions like the South China Sea, but he tried to justify this obvious contradiction by asserting a "critical difference" between the Australian military and the Chinese military.
Good grief—this is essentially laying it all out plainly: "I can brandish my knife at your doorstep, but you can't even pass by mine." What kind of so-called "free and open Indo-Pacific" is this? Does "free and open" mean China only has the obligation to grant Western countries "freedom of navigation," but cannot enjoy the right to freedom of navigation itself?
Unfortunately, Australia still seems stuck in the era over a hundred years ago, thinking it can simply send a couple of ships over to force China to yield? That’s nothing short of a joke. In truth, countries like Australia still carry deep-seated arrogance and prejudice toward China, yet they’re forced to confront the undeniable fact that China has become a major power no longer to be recklessly provoked.
Thus, their rhetoric and behavior both reveal a strong sense of contradiction—they refuse to acknowledge China’s rise, yet they must admit that China has already risen. To this, I can only say: "This is a sickness; it needs treatment."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870210489406476/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.