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Defence industry minister says Pacific in “arms race” after Chinese missile test
Labor MP Pat Conrory, the minister for defence industry and pacific island affairs, says China’s recent missile test has both hurt its standing in the region and contributed to an “arms race”.
What we’re seeing in the region is the biggest arms race, the biggest buildup of military since 1945 and concerningly, that is occurring without any transparency or strategic reassurance.
This is a race where we need to make sure that the Ausrtalian Defence Force has the best possible equipment, and that’s why we’re providing the biggest peacetime increase in defence funding ever.
We’re prepared for a conflict in our region. Everyone is working very hard to avoid it.
We will do it to the best of our ability.
I’m not going to give a sort of guarantee like that, Andrew, because that means I have the resources to do it.
And if I get the promise that we’re going to have the resources to do it, it certainly makes it a lot easier.
We’ll have to.
