‘No doubt’ China has ‘increased buildup’ of military capabilities

Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite says Australia wants to “maintain peace and stability” in the region despite China’s “increased buildup” of military capabilities. Labor’s defence plans won’t improve Australia’s military capability for at least a decade, according to a report. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute says the country would only have access to its current force if a war were to break out in the next 10 years. “China makes its own decisions. Australia will act in its best interest,” Mr Thistlethwaite told Sky News Australia. “We want to maintain peace and stability within the region. “There’s no doubt that there’s been an increased buildup of Chinese military capabilities … but we want to maintain peace and stability and status quo within the region.”