China launched a long-range missile without a warhead from a nuclear submarine toward the Pacific island region, prompting dissatisfaction from regional countries including Australia. There have been calls to make the Pacific a region of cooperative defense, and this initiative is likely to gain support from many countries.
China is not the only country to have launched missiles or conducted nuclear device tests in this region. China has also stated that it does not regard this launch as an act directed against countries in the region. Current affairs analysts believe this was a demonstration to the United States that China has the capability to launch long-range missiles, indicating that a large portion of the United States has come within the range of China’s military strike capability. The message to the United States is that if political conflicts between China and Taiwan or other countries lead to military action, the United States should understand that China possesses sufficient military strength to impact on the U.S. mainland.
For Australia, this long-range missile launch indicates that Australia has also come within the reach of China’s military capabilities. A missile launched from mainland China over a distance of 9,000 kilometres is capable of covering Australia’s major cities, but this does not mean that China is threatening Australia. Over the past thirty years or more, China has already demonstrated its influence in Australia through the economy, trade, manufacturing, and supply chains. Australia is not a military power and is unlikely to pose a threat to China’s security. Therefore, China has no real need to use force or military intimidation against Australia.
However, from the perspective of Australia’s own security and the protection of its citizens’ way of life, designating the Pacific region as a demilitarized zone and restricting military activities by all countries in the region would be a policy that is unquestionably beneficial to Australia and other countries of the region. Likewise, an agreement among the large and small countries of the region for joint defense—such as the “Ocean of Peace” mutual defense agreement signed last week between Australia and Fiji, the first of such agreement with a Pacific island nation outside New Zealand—is a step in that direction. The agreement also welcomes more countries to join, and New Zealand has already expressed strong interest. It is believed that more countries will join soon.
Historically, countries have often resolved conflicts over interests, ideology, religion, and other differences through war. However, since the First World War, Western countries have learned that ruling populations engaged in prolonged resistance is ultimately not in their own interests. Unless humanity returns to the barbaric practice of completely exterminating its enemies, otherwise using war to invade other countries is not an acceptable approach. I only hope that Australia’s political leaders will show true leadership by joining up the other small Pacific nations to advocate for peace throughout the region.
Mr. Raymond Chow