Albanese downplays China's defence warning
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is downplaying a recent warning from China over Australia's defence spending.
This comes as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Australia to lift its defence budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP to help counter Chinese aggression.
Defence Minister Richard Marles described it as 'the most significant military build-up' Australia has ever seen.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘World of trouble': Failed meetings with Trump setting Australia back
Sky News host Paul Murray discusses Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dancing around the failed meetings with United States President Donald Trump. 'Remember he was part of the B-team, the reserve team, the bench of global leaders at the G7,' Mr Murray said. 'Every country outside of the seven, they were not allowed to even dine with the seven that of course included, among others, the United States.'
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
China has ‘a little bit to say' on Australia's defence spending
Sky News host Paul Murray slams China's Ambassador to Australia's 'gaslighting' around defence spending. 'Amazingly the Chinese have had a little bit to say,' Mr Murray said. 'This, just gaslighting, gaslighting.'
Courier-Mail
2 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Anthony Albanese rejects call for US to be more transparent about Australian military presence
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Anthony Albanese has rejected Coalition's front bencher Andrew Hastie's call for more 'transparency' from the United States in relation to their operations on Australian bases. Mr Hastie, a former SAS commander, has previously called for 'greater transparency' on how the US is using its Australian bases like Pine Gap near Alice Springs, and the Naval Communication Station on Western Australia's North West Cape, in order to bolster military posture in the Indo Pacific. The Coalition's home affairs spokesman urged for more 'mature' discussions on operationalising the alliance, guard rails for combat operations and clearer definitions for Australian sovereignty. Responding to the suggestion on the ABC, the Prime Minister said: 'I'm not sure what he means by that,' and rejected the idea of Australia using defence as a bargaining chip to secure a tariff exemption. Andrew Hastie has said the government should press the US to be more transparent on its Australian military operations. Picture: Richard Dobson/ NewsWire 'He belongs to a political party that during the election campaign, when President Trump announced tariffs on what he called the Liberation Day, they drew into question, said 'we should be bargaining with our defence relationship,'' Mr Albanese said. 'That was something that I rejected on that day.' Asked if US' military footprint would make Australia more vulnerable in the event of intensified conflict with China, Mr Albanese said it was his goal to 'avoid conflict,' and backed Australia's alliance with the US. 'I think it is in Australia's interest and the United States' interest and the interests of other partners we have to have interoperability, to have the AUKUS arrangements in place,' he continued. 'If Mr Hastie is questioning that, then he should say that. It's why I've been very clear on that.' Anthony Albanese rejected Mr Hastie's calls and backed the Australia-US alliance. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Mr Albanese also said despite the 'laser-like focus' on when he would secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump, he was more concerned with 'supporting Australia's national interests'. He also noted that while he was prepared to meet with Mr Trump 'when a suitable time could be organised,' he flagged the yet-to-be-finalised Quad meeting between the US, Japan, India and Australia which will occur in the 'coming months'. 'We also have the Quad meeting coming up, which we are finalising as well,' he said. To date Mr Albanese has had three phone conversations with Mr Trump, and also met with US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, US trade representative, Jamieson Greer and US National Economic Council director, Kevin Hassett while he was in Kanamaskis for the G7. Originally published as Anthony Albanese rejects call for US to be more transparent about its military presence in Australia
