Barnaby Joyce warns future generations facing China ‘threat'
The warning comes as Talisman Sabre, Australia's biggest war-games, reaches its tail end.
Some 35,000 troops from 19 of the country's allies are taking part in the military exercises — drills Taiwan is pushing to be part of in the future.
Mr Joyce, a former deputy prime minister, said on Monday Australia's 'strategic ambiguity' on Taiwan must be 'backed up with incredible strength'.
'There's not multiple rules-based orders in the world — there's one,' he told Seven's Sunrise, citing French President Emmanuel Macron.
'If a country wants to be outside that by just taking the South China Sea, by what we've seen with journalists in Hong Kong just (being) taken off the street, with tennis players who disappear if they say the wrong thing.
'We've had a massive build-up of (China's) armed capacity, including their nuclear capacity, and no real explanation as to why and (Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong) brought that to our attention lately.'
Mr Joyce went on to say the 'Australian people really haven't grasped exactly what's before us'.
'We need to become as strong as possible as quickly as possible,' he said.
'We really are putting the future of your children and grandchildren at threat.
'China does not believe in a democratic world order.
'They believe in an alternate order that does not include democracy and ultimately … where we lie in that, if we don't get this right, is as a vassal state.
'You will be dominated by economically, socially in your media, by a totalitarian regime.'
Adding that Australia is 'not as strong as we should be at the moment', Mr Joyce said the answer was working with allies to bolster collective defence.
Bringing Taiwan into the fold would mean Australia needs to 'look like you are strong enough to back yourself in'.
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