Beijing’s Naval Strategy May Target Australia’s Largest Ports

The USS Bonhomme Richard amphibious assault ship manoeuvres into port in front of the Sydney Opera House in Australia, June 29, 2017 after a ceremony on board the ship marking the start of Talisman Saber 2017, a biennial joint military exercise between the United States and Australia. REUTERS/David Gray

A leading Australian policy think tank has warned the federal government that the Chinese military may seek to control ports in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney via state-owned enterprises (SOE) as part of a broader ambition to project the communist regime’s power globally.

In a report by Charlie Lyons Jones titled “Leaping Across the Ocean” (pdf), the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) identified the three Australian ports as a potential part of this strategy.