Aussies support South China Sea ops, but some wary of Trump

Ships and submarines from the U.S. and Singapore navies gather in formation in the South China Sea during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, July 21, 2015.
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Australians support conducting freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea similar to those by the United States but are concerned about security ties with the U.S. under a potential Donald Trump presidency, according to a poll released Tuesday.

U.S. Navy officials view preserving freedom of navigation as critical in the South China Sea, in light of China’s militarization and artificial island-building activities atop reefs claimed by multiple nations.

China claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea as its own and has attempted to restrict navigation through what the U.S. and other nations view as international waters.

Thus far, no other nation has publicly joined the U.S. on freedom-of navigation (FON) operations, though Japan has not ruled out a future role and media reports have indicated low-key Australian activity.

Asked about “China’s increasing military activities,” 74 percent of Australians favored FON operations in the South China Sea, according to the poll by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, a nonpartisan Australian think tank. Another 20 percent opposed FON operations.

Although Australia has cycled through four prime ministers since 2010, support for U.S.-Australia security ties has remained relatively strong. The two nations agreed to a pact in 2011 that sends Marines on six-month rotations to Australia.

Australian officials voiced support for U.S. FON operations in May, when the destroyer USS William P. Lawrence transited within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, where China has built military facilities.

“All states have a right under international law to freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the South China Sea and elsewhere, and that’s Australia’s position,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Australian broadcaster ABC in May.

Bishop reiterated that message but also struck a cautious tone Tuesday during a debate with her opposition counterpart, stating that any change to Australia’s operation procedure could be seen as escalating tensions, according to a Sky News report.

Meanwhile, the Lowy poll also reflected concern about the U.S. political process.

A 51 percent majority answered that Australia should remain close to the U.S. regardless of the presidential election results, while 45 percent said “Australia should distance itself from the United States if it elects a president like Donald Trump.”

The remainder chose neither statement or did not know. The poll’s margin of error is 2.8 percent.

Additionally, 71 percent rated the U.S. security alliance as either very or fairly important to Australian security, a nine-point drop from 2015 and the lowest mark since 2007.

“In the context of intense media attention on the Trump candidacy and general disquiet about the U.S. political process, the number of Australians who now see the alliance as either very or fairly important to Australia’s security has fallen significantly,” according to the Lowy poll report.

(Source : stripes.com)

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