China’s 2020 assault on Indian forces at LAC a warning for all: Australian dy PM

Australian deputy PM Richard Marles said it was vital that China commits to resolving the LAC dispute with India through a process of dialogue consistent with international law

The assault on Indian forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020 was a warning for all countries and China should commit to resolving this dispute through a dialogue consistent with international law, Australia’s deputy prime minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday.

Australia deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said his country stood up for India’s sovereignty in 2020 and continues to do so now (ANI)

Marles, who also holds the post of defence minister, said in an address at the National Defence College in New Delhi that China is not at the centre of every decision made by India and Australia while working together to respond to strategic change.

While acknowledging China’s right to have a “stronger say” in regional and global affairs, he said it is important that the exercise of power by Beijing “exhibits the characteristics necessary for our shared prosperity and security” and respect for agreed rules and norms.

Marles’ unusually blunt comments came against the backdrop of China’s strained relations with both India and Australia. India has been locked in a military standoff with Chinese troops since May 2020, while Beijing’s relations with Canberra are currently at a low following the imposition of stiff tariffs and unofficial bans on Australian exports.

He said China’s military build-up – the “largest and most ambitious” by any country since the end of World War 2 – should not be seen by neighbours as a risk. Without such reassurance, it is inevitable for countries to upgrade their military capabilities in response, he added.

“Insecurity is what drives an arms race. India’s own experience illustrates this maxim more than most. The assault on Indian forces along the Line of Actual Control in 2020 was a warning we should all heed,” Marles said.

“Australia stood up for India’s sovereignty then and continues to do so now. It is vital that China commits to resolving this dispute through a process of dialogue consistent with international law. The global rules-based order matters everywhere, including in the highest place on earth,” he added.

Marles, the first senior official of the new Australian government to visit India, said there was “nothing remarkable” about two democracies such as India and Australia working together in response to strategic change.

“But it would be wrong to assume, as some commentators tend to, that China is at the centre of every decision,” he said.

Describing the “return of war in Europe” as another warning, he said: “I do not come here to lecture India on how it should respond to this conflict, or how it should manage its relationship with Russia. Every country needs to make its own choices.”

Marles added: “But Russia’s war on Ukraine does teach us that we cannot just rely on economic interdependence to deter conflict, and that deterrence can fail when one country’s determined military build-up creates an imbalance of military power.”

Such an imbalance encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “conclude the benefits from conflict outweighed the risks”, and Australia is taking this lesson to heart. “It is in all of our interests to ensure no country in our region ever comes to a similar judgement,” he cautioned.

Such factors are behind the Australian government’s move to provide more potent deterrence capabilities to the country’s defence forces, including long-range and precision strike weapons, offensive and defensive cyber, and area denial systems. “The same logic underpins the decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines with the US and the UK under AUKUS,” he said.

Marles said his visit reflects the commitment of the Anthony Albanese government to “place India at the heart of Australia’s approach to the Indo-Pacific and beyond”. He added, “Australia stands ready to work even more closely with India for an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific.”