International Relations

China’s Aggression Aims to Isolate Australia, Undermine Regional Security: Analysts

Beijing’s military build-up and naval harassment are seen as a direct threat to vital Indo-Pacific trade routes, forcing Canberra to bolster its AUKUS pact.
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China’s Aggression Aims to Isolate Australia, Undermine Regional Security: Analysts
A Chinese Navy helicopter flies close to a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane above Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Feb. 18, 2025. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
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China’s increasing military pressure is compelling Australia to expand joint defense exercises with its allies, while also pushing Canberra to reduce its economic ties with Beijing, experts say.

“The biggest military build-up in the world today is China,” Richard Marles, Australia’s defense minister, warned in an opening address at the 2025 Indo Pacific Conference in Sydney on Nov. 4.
Jarvis Lim
Jarvis Lim
Author
Jarvis Lim is a Taiwan-based writer focusing on human rights, U.S.–China relations, China's economic and political influence in Southeast Asia, and cross-strait relations.