The comments come as Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman,Penny Wong,is set to deliver a speech lashing Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his handling of the China relationship,saying his “political opportunism on foreign policy is unprecedented in Australian history”.
Sir Peter said China had changed over the past 20 years,modernising its defence force in a very powerful way.
“Things that the US were more relaxed about 20 years ago,they’re now on their toes because of the power that has been added to the People’s Liberation Army,” he told the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees conference,where he was speaking about leadership on Tuesday morning.
Loading
“It is now a very potent force and there’s this sense of it’s a historical time for China – South China Sea,Taiwan,Belt and Road ... so we see the dragon awake.”
The federal government’s language about the prospect of war has hardened in recent months,with Defence MinisterPeter Dutton saying a conflict over Taiwan could not be discounted and Home Affairs boss Michael Pezzullo warning the “drums of war” were beating. One of the nation’s top military commanderstold his troops last year Beijing was already engaged in “grey zone” warfare against Australia and they must plan for the high likelihood this might spill over into actual conflict in future.
Diplomatic relations between Australia and China havehit their worst levels in decades,with Beijing imposing more than $20 billion of tariffs on Australian exports including beef,wine and barley.