Australian defence chief says China military buildup creating ‘pressure’ in Southeast Asia

CEBU: Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday (Oct 29) that China’s military build-up was creating a “condition of pressure” in Southeast Asia, and urged allies and partners to deepen cooperation. Beijing deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol disputed areas of the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis. In July, Australia protested China’s test of a nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific, calling the launch “destabilising”. “We’re obviously seeing the biggest conventional military build-up that the world has seen since the…