China’s military creating ‘pressure’ in region, Australian defense chief says

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Thursday that China’s military buildup 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 “destabilizing.” “We’re obviously seeing the biggest conventional military buildup that the world has seen since the end of the Second…