Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong will warn China that regional nations will not be bullied by its "provocative" actions, citing a recent missile test and conduct in the South China Sea. The speech comes amid escalating Middle East conflict and rising fuel prices.
The escalating tensions in the South China Sea and the Strait of Hormuz pose significant risks to regional stability, global energy markets, and food security, impacting economies and populations across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will warn China that regional nations will not be bullied by its "provocative" actions, citing a recent nuclear-capable missile test and "destabilising and dangerous" conduct in the South China Sea. Wong met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Manila.
Wong stated that China's missile test "came with too little information and notification" and occurs in the context of its "rapid military buildup, including of its nuclear arsenal, without the transparency or reassurance the region expects." She also criticized China's vessels for engaging in "destabilising and dangerous conduct" towards Philippine, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian vessels.
Separately, Wong will caution world leaders against weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the region will suffer from rising energy prices and impacts on food production if the vital shipping lane is disrupted. The escalating Middle East conflict, involving Iran and the US, has already driven Brent crude prices up by 23% in two weeks, nearing $US90 a barrel.
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