Australia’s Defense Minister Linda Reynolds arrived in Australia’s Northern Territory on Monday (September 7, 2020) to begin a tour with the U.S. Ambassador to Australia of the operations of both countries’ militaries in the strategically important territory.
Minister Reynolds said in a tweet that she was looking forward to meeting with local Defence Force and U.S. Marine Corps personnel.
In 2011, then-U.S. President Barack Obama reached an agreement with Australian leaders to establish a 25-year military rotation, reflecting a shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Asia and in response to China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.
In late July, the two foreign and defense ministers met in Washington for a 2+2 meeting and reached an agreement to establish a U.S.-funded military fuel reserve system in Darwin. This plan represents closer cooperation between the two allies at a time of shared tensions with China.
In August, the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps conducted a joint long-range bombing exercise with the Australian Defense Force, with logistical support from Japan. The U.S. military called the training a major step toward multinational joint combat teams working together.
Over the past few months, relations between the United States, Australia, and China have taken a sharp turn for the worse. U.S. Defense Secretary Stephen Esper recently said that the U.S. military is ready to respond to the Chinese threat and proposed three specific measures to address the Chinese challenge, including joining forces with allies and partners.
Responding to Esper’s comments, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said Sunday that Esper’s remarks were full of Cold War thinking and ideological bias. He said China adheres to the path of peaceful development and the Chinese military will continue to make due contributions to building a peaceful and prosperous world.
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