Australia, China military hold officials talk for the first time in four years

Australian and Chinese military officials have held security talks for the first time in about four years as Canberra works to thaw relations with Beijing.

Australian Defense Force officials hosted a delegation from the People’s Liberation Army in Canberra on Wednesday for a half-day meeting.

“The dialogue was conducted in a professional atmosphere with both sides exchanging views on regional security issues,” said a spokesman for Australia’s Department of Defense.

Negotiations have led to steps towards “mutual understanding,” China’s defense ministry said.

“A mutual understanding conducive to the healthy and stable development of the relationship between the two armies,” the statement said.

It was the first formal meeting of defense officials since 2019, and comes as China doubles down on its criticism of Australia’s plans to get nuclear-powered submarines.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the path to the takeover last week, with a commitment to the vessels under the US-UK trilateral AUKUS security pact.

The deal has been met with outrage from Beijing, who have accused Australia of taking a dangerous path that will result in “years of confrontation”.

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said: “The latest joint statement by the US, UK and Australia shows that the three countries are ignoring the concerns of the international communities and moving further and further down the path of error and danger. . ‘

Tensions between Canberra and the communist powerhouse erupted in April 2020 when the Morrison government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the Covid virus.

The authoritarian regime reacted furiously, imposing $20 billion in bans and tariffs on key Australian exports as punishment.

It was the first formal meeting of defense officials since 2019, and comes as China doubles down on its criticism of Australia’s plans to get nuclear-powered submarines. In the photo: Australian soldiers

Negotiations have led to steps towards “mutual understanding,” China’s defense ministry said. Pictured: Chinese army

The collapse in relations was compounded by China’s security arrangement with the Solomon Islands concluded last year, which will open the door to a military base 2,000km off the Australian coast.

Further concerns have been raised regarding Australian-Chinese relations after classified maps revealed Chinese land-based missiles could hit targets in two-thirds of Australia.

The classified document shows the range of 3,000 to 5,000 kilometers of the missiles if they were fired from their base on Hainan Island or the country’s militarized islands in the South China Sea.

Defense Secretary Richard Marles and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Feng agreed last November to restore dialogue on defense coordination.