Lift defence spend to show China that Australia means business: Abbott
Australia needs to lift its defence spending so it can be a better ally while pushing back against military actions from China, former prime minister Tony Abbott has urged while expressing hope the economic giant may become the world's most benign superpower.
In an address last week to the Australia China Economics Trade and Culture Association, Abbott, who signed the free trade agreement between the two nations just months before losing the prime ministership in 2015, also urged continuing financial links between the countries while cautioning Australia had to broaden its dependence on China.
The Albanese government is under pressure from US President Donald Trump to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Such a sharp lift in spending would cost the budget more than $200 billion by 2035-36.
Abbott said Australia had to 'protest strongly' after incidents such as the use of sonar by a Chinese warship to deliberately injure Australian navy divers in 2023, backing that action with increased defence expenditure.
'Australia does need to be militarily stronger, with more ships, more planes, more personnel, more drones and more missiles, so that we can be a better ally and stronger friend,' he said.
'If a stronger military is right for China, and for others, it's right for us too. We have to be in a position to be firm, even with a superpower.'
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Abbott said while retaining its financial and trading links with China, Australia had to broaden its supply chains. China imposed effective bans on Australian goods worth $20 billion under the Morrison government.
'Australia should keep trading; we should keep accepting students, certainly for the humanities; we should keep accepting highly skilled immigrants, and the dependents of Australian citizens,' he said.
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