Australia noncommittal on sending troops if China invades Taiwan

如果中國侵犯台灣，澳洲對於派兵與否不表態

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Amid reports that the US Department of Defense is pressuring Australia to clarify what role it would play if China invaded Taiwan, its defense minister said Sunday that any decision to deploy troops would be made by the government in power at the time, not preemptively.

Reuters cited Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy as saying Canberra's top priority is its sovereignty and “we don't discuss hypotheticals." "The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance,” said Conroy.

The Financial Times reported Saturday that Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defense for policy, is pressuring defense officials in Japan and Australia to clarify their stances in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict. In an X post uploaded on Saturday, Colby said the Trump administration's deterrence policy includes “urging allies to step up their defense spending and other efforts related to our collective defense.”

Conroy said Australia is concerned about China’s military expansion, both nuclear and conventional, and Canberra supports a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific to prevent any one country from dominating the region. He also said that China is seeking to establish a military base in the Pacific, which is contrary to Australia's interests.

Australia and the US kicked off their largest-ever joint military exercise on Sunday in Sydney Harbour, with 30,000 troops from 19 countries participating. The Talisman Sabre bilateral military exercise spans 6,500 kilometers, from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to the Coral Sea.

Conroy said that the Chinese navy may closely monitor the exercises and, as in the past, attempt to gather intelligence.