Australia could be thrown into a military conflict with China in a matter of years, a former defence minister has warned. War may be i...
Australia could be thrown into a military conflict with China in a matter of years, a former defence minister has warned.
War may be inevitable with the authoritarian state as it becomes more aggressive and belligerent with its neighbours, Christopher Pyne said.
Australia's relationship with its biggest trading partner began to drastically deteriorate in April last year when Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent inquiry into the origins of coronavirus, which first appeared in Wuhan at the end of 2019.
The plea for transparency over Covid-19 infuriated the Communist Party who retaliated by imposing arbitrary bans and tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Australian goods including barley, wine, cotton, seafood, beef, copper, and coal.
Now the former defence minister has predicted that a 'loss of life' and 'military destruction' could soon be a reality in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia might get thrust into a hot war with China in the next five to 10 years as the authoritarian Asian state becomes more aggressive and belligerent with its neighbours, Chris Pyne said (pictured, Chinese soldiers in Tiananmen Square on March 9)
Australian Army soldier from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment in Queensland (pictured) amid warnings that Australia could 'be at war with China' within years
But while the fallout over trade has been severe, the Liberal Party stalwart, who served under Malcolm Turnbull, said things may well get a whole lot worse as Beijing looks to poke and prod its Asia Pacific neighbours.
'Five years ago, I would have said that the possibility was very unlikely - now I would have to say that the possibility is more likely than it was then,' Mr Pyne said in a speech at the University of Adelaide, News.com.au reported.
'Not a cyber war, but a real one involving loss of life, destruction of military platforms, with aggressors and defenders on different sides,' he said.
'This isn't rhetoric. This is something that you and I may well have to confront in the next five to 10 years.'
China engaged in a border scuffle with India last year where dozens of soldiers were killed on both sides.
Tensions have soared in the disputed South China Sea where Beijing has claimed control of maritime areas legally belonging to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and Brunei.
Internally President Xi Jinping has also moved to stamp out freedoms in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang Province with brutal campaigns against religious minorities and pro-democracy advocates.
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen poses for a group photo in front of the Taiwan navy's new boat - amid growing pressure from China in the South China Sea and political tension worldwide
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (pictured) has remained staunch in the face of Chinese aggression - with many nations now at loggerheads with the communist superpower
Hong Kong Police pass a burning barricade to break up thousands of pro-democracy protesters as the movement against China rages on (pictured)
But Mr Pyne said the 'most concerning' flashpoint that could lead to all out military conflict is Chinese aggression in Taiwan.
The island nation backed by the US and Japan has endured a longstanding conflict with Beijing since the Chinese civil war in 1949 and now its residents are more on edge than ever after watching the erosion of independence in Hong Kong.
The People's Liberation Army have repeatedly invaded Taiwan's airspace and maritime borders as 'Wolf Warrior diplomats' ramp up their rhetoric about annexing the territory.
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