Australia has stated it expects Chinese surveillance during the multinational Talisman Sabre military exercises, which commenced on Sunday in Sydney Harbour.
The drills are the largest ever held under the framework and will involve 40,000 troops from 19 countries, spanning operations across thousands of kilometres from the Indian Ocean to the Coral Sea.
Speaking ahead of the opening, Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry and Pacific Affairs, said Chinese naval forces are likely to monitor the exercise to collect intelligence, as they have done in previous years. “The Chinese military have observed these exercises since 2017 and it would be very unusual if they didn’t do that this time,” he told ABC. “We’ll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia.”
The exercises, which will run for two weeks, include air, sea, land and space operations and are being conducted across a vast area from Christmas Island in the west to the Coral Sea off Australia’s eastern coast. The drills are aimed at rehearsing joint force deployment and operations from the northern part of the country, according to Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Chief of Joint Operations for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
“Talisman Sabre is a rehearsal of joint war fighting,” said Jones. “It will test our ability to move our forces into the north of Australia and operate from Australia.” When asked about how China might perceive the presence of 19 nations operating jointly in the Indo-Pacific, he added, “I will leave it to China to interpret what that means. But for me, it represents a shared aspiration for peace, stability, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The participating nations include the United States, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. The United States remains Australia’s principal security partner. U.S. Army Lieutenant General Joel Vowell, Deputy Commanding General for the Pacific, said the exercises were intended to strengthen joint operational readiness and serve as a deterrent.
“Talisman Sabre is a deterrent mechanism because our ultimate goal is no war,” said Vowell. “If we could do all this alone, we could go fast. But because we want to go far, we have to do it together. That is important because of the instability that is resident in the region.”
The exercises take place as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues a six-day visit to China focused on restoring trade relations. Despite this diplomatic engagement, the Australian government remains concerned about China’s strategic ambitions in the South Pacific.
Minister Conroy reiterated warnings that Beijing is attempting to secure a military base in the Pacific region. “We’re seeing in my portfolio of the Pacific, China seeking to secure a military base,” he said. “We’re working very hard to be the primary security partner of choice for the region, because we don’t think that’s a particularly optimal thing for Australia.”
In 2022, China signed a security agreement with Solomon Islands, sparking concern among regional powers. Although the agreement’s full content remains undisclosed, both Australia and the United States fear it could eventually facilitate a permanent Chinese military presence.
China’s embassy in Fiji recently described allegations of base construction as “false narratives” driven by “ulterior motives”. Beijing continues to expand its economic and political influence in the Pacific through infrastructure investments, including stadiums, hospitals, and government buildings. Several Pacific Island nations, including Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Nauru, have shifted diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in recent years.
Australia has consistently maintained that it does not allow foreign military bases on its soil. Nonetheless, the U.S. military is increasing its rotational presence in Australia, including the expansion of fuel storage and forward basing infrastructure. By 2027, U.S. Virginia-class submarines are expected to be based at Western Australian ports, a development analysts believe will be central to U.S. force posture in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
While the Albanese government seeks to maintain a working relationship with China on trade and climate issues, its defence and regional policies remain firmly aligned with Western allies. Talisman Sabre, as a demonstration of multinational interoperability and strategic resolve, underscores Canberra’s position that the Indo-Pacific should remain balanced, stable, and free from coercive influence.
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