Wall Street Journal: Australia is strengthening its defense budget
The Wall Street Journal highlighted The American newspaper highlighted Australia’s strengthening of its defense budget while reconsidering its defense plans in light of the intensification of the strategic competition between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The newspaper stated, in the context of a report It was published on its website on Wednesday that the Australian government plans to invest an additional 50 billion Australian dollars, or approximately 32 billion US dollars, in defense over the next decade, with defense funding expected to rise to 2.4% of GDP by 2033. -2034 compared to 2.1% in 2024-2025.
She indicated that defense spending is expected to grow from about 55 billion Australian dollars in 2024-2025 to about 100 billion Australian dollar in 2033-2034. The Wall Street Journal added that Australia, a strategic ally of the United States, has outlined plans to reform its military forces. The officials said that the idea is to deter attempts by any potential adversary to display its power.
The American newspaper quoted the officials as saying that they want the Australian army’s power to be more focused in a way that it can address The most important strategic risks facing the country, which means that Australia plans to develop a larger and more lethal navy, an army that can operate better in coastal environments, a better air force, as well as more electronic and space capabilities.
According to Australia’s new National Defense Strategy released on Wednesday, immediate priorities include a plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines through the trilateral OKOS defense partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom, enhancing long-range strike and missile manufacturing and strengthening key bases in the north of the country. According to the Australian strategy, “China is working to improve its capabilities in all areas of warfare at a pace and scale that the world has not seen in nearly a century.”
Wall Street noted that Journal / China’s leaders have pledged to absorb Taiwan by force if necessary, and US officials say the Chinese military has been instructed to prepare to invade the democratically autonomous island by 2027. At the same time, Washington has sought to strengthen its network of alliances in the region to deter Beijing. Australia has deepened its defense cooperation with the United States in recent years, and the two countries’ militaries often train together and purchase the same equipment. It recently joined the United States, Japan and the Philippines in naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea.
At the same time, the left-leaning Australian government headed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought to Improving diplomatic relations with China, its largest trading partner. High-level dialogue between Australia and China has resumed since the Albanians won the election in 2022, and Beijing recently moved to lift trade restrictions on Australian goods. The new defense strategy said: “Although Australia and China have different values and political systems, a stable and constructive relationship is in the interest of both countries.”
