3 days ago
Government should be 'prepared to act' on Taiwan, Angus Taylor says
Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor is calling on the government to "make principled commitments to the security of Taiwan" amid pressure from the United States.
"What I'm saying we should commit to, is a joint commitment to the security of Taiwan," he told 7.30.
"Peace through deterrence is incredibly important ... That does mean you're prepared to act under certain circumstances."
The Financial Times reported on Saturday that senior US defence official Elbridge Colby — who is leading the Trump administration's review of the AUKUS pact — was pressing Australia and Japan to say what role they would play if the US and China went to war over Taiwan.
Mr Taylor said it was not possible to "codify how a conflict might unfold" but "you can make those principled commitments as part of an alliance".
"That means working very closely in the Taiwan Strait to the security of Taiwan … and that commitment should underpin what we are doing in AUKUS."
The calls come during Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's trip to China, where he is being hosted by President Xi Jinping.
Mr Albanese said he was not asked by his Chinese counterpart about the increased pressure from the United States over Taiwan but that he reiterated the Australian position.
"I reaffirmed on Taiwan the position of Australia of support for the status quo," he told reporters after his meeting.
Speaking to the ABC on Sunday, Acting Defence Minister Pat Conroy said he would not "engage in hypotheticals" or "disclose confidential discussions".
"The sole power to commit Australia to war or to allow our territory to be used for a conflict is the elected government of the day," he said.
"That is our position. Sovereignty will always be prioritised, and that will continue to be our position."
Mr Colby's review into the AUKUS pact was due to be completed within 30 days from when it started in June, though Mr Conroy said he was advised that it had been extended.
Last month NATO allies unanimously agreed to lift their countries' defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, after pressure from US President Donald Trump.
US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth has told Australia to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, though the government has resisted the call and plans to lift expenditure to 2.3 per cent.
Mr Taylor again urged the government to heed the American call on defence spending and step up its commitments to the security of Taiwan.
"These are the commitments that need to be made," he said.
"They are not being made as far as we can see. If they are being made that's very quietly behind closed doors."
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