The environment in the Asia-Pacific is less alarming than it was a year ago. Washington and Beijing are talking again. So are Canberra and Beijing. The United States is focused, externally, on the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war and, internally, on this year’s presidential election. China is preoccupied with stabilising and energising its domestic economy. For now Beijing has largely silenced its diplomatic wolf warriors, Washington has been less accusatory and neither side seems in the mood to escalate tensions – over Taiwan, trade or anything else. But none…
Tag: Australia news
BoM forecasts category three storm – as it happened
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China lodges protests at Australia’s response to Taiwan’s presidential election
China has lodged diplomatic protests with Australia for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election, with the Chinese ambassador warning there is “no room at all” for compromise on the “sensitive” issue. China’s top envoy in Australia, Xiao Qian, also dashed hopes that the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun might be released from custody in a similar manner to the Australian journalist Cheng Lei last year. The ambassador further denied that a Chinese warship had subjected Australian naval divers to dangerous sonar pulses in an incident in Japan’s exclusive economic…
Australia news live: Albanese hails ‘significant progress’ in Pacific diplomacy; Australia not named as part of Red Sea task force
From 45m ago Australia not among nations named in Red Sea task force The US defense secretary has announced a new multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni militants forced major shipping companies to reroute, stoking fears of sustained disruptions to global trade. Lloyd Austin, who is on a trip to Bahrain, home to the US navy’s headquarters in the Middle East, said Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain would be involved in the Red Sea security operation.…
Ex-Liberal candidate found guilty of using donation to attempt to influence Morrison government for China
A Melbourne businessman has become the first person found guilty of preparing or planning an act of foreign interference under recent federal laws, over a $37,000 hospital donation. Di Sanh Duong, 68, faced a month-long jury trial in Melbourne’s county court after being the first person charged under the laws, created in 2018, which ban covert foreign interference in domestic politics. Prosecutors argued at the trial that Duong planned to gain political influence with the former federal education minister Alan Tudge, on behalf of the Chinese Communist party (CCP). He…
Daniel Duggan asks to be released from jail and detained at home as he fights extradition to US
An Australian pilot accused of accepting money to illegally train Chinese military personnel has denied he is a flight risk and described himself as a model prisoner in a formal request to be released into home detention. Daniel Duggan has written to the acting New South Wales corrections commissioner from Lithgow maximum security prison where he is being held in isolated custody while he fights extradition to the US. Duggan, a former US marine who became an Australian citizen, has been charged with four offences in the US including conspiring…
News live: Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea, Farrell says
From 5h ago Sarah Basford Canales Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea Earlier this morning, trade minister Don Farrell left open the possibility Australia could deploy navy vessels to the Red Sea amid ongoing attacks against commercial shipping from Iran-backed militia. This week the US asked Australia to send a warship to the region as part of its duties as a member of the international naval security taskforce, the combined maritime forces. It comes as the Yemen-based and Iran-backed Houthis warned…
Tropical cyclone Jasper live update: Qld weather warnings in place as category 2 storm on track to hit north of Cairns today – latest
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Australia says AI will be used to help track Chinese submarines under new Aukus plan
Artificial intelligence, drones, and deep space radar are among the technologies that will be used by Australia and its Aukus allies to counter China’s aggression in the Pacific. Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, met with his counterparts from the United States and United Kingdom – Lloyd J Austin and Grant Shapps – in California on Saturday to announce the second “pillar” of the Aukus deal. It came after the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, last month accused a Chinese naval ship of “dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional” behaviour after Australian naval divers…
Australian government gives approval for foreign interference charges against Alexander Csergo
Attorney general Mark Dreyfus has approved foreign interference charges against an Australian marketing executive who worked in China, seven months after the man was arrested by police on his return from Shanghai. Alexander Csergo, 55, who appeared on video link in a Sydney court on Wednesday, has been in custody since his arrest by Australian Federal Police in April at his mother’s beachside Bondi home. He was the first person charged with “reckless foreign interference”, and the second person charged under a law that criminalises activity that helps a foreign…