'Practicing for war': Barnaby Joyce issues chilling warning about China as he says Australia has 'got to wake up'

Sky News AU

25-04-2025

Shadow minister for veterans' affairs Barnaby Joyce has declared it crucial Australia becomes "as powerful as possible, as quickly as possible" to fend off external threats.
Mr Joyce's comments come after the Coalition this week pledged to increase defence spending by $21 billion over the next five years, lifting total outlay to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
This will rise to 3 per cent of GDP within a decade, while the Albanese government's spend plateaus at about 2.3 per cent.
The Nationals MP said it was imperative Australia "wake up" to the defence challenges facing the nation.
Barnaby Joyce joined Rowan Dean for Sky News Australia's new program The World According to Rowan Dean. The latest episode is available to watch now, and new episodes are out every Friday, for SkyNews.com.au subscribers.
"We have got to realise what is before us. We have got to wake up. We have only one job in this nation - become as powerful as possible, as quickly as possible," he said.
"You can't just say, well our defence policy is the mums and dads of Tennessee and South Carolina and California, well they're going to send their sons and daughters over to die on our behalf.
"I think that is a pretty poor policy.
"You actually have to fundamentally be able to defend yourself, be resourceful enough to resupply yourself, be tactical enough to understand what an adversary is doing and get in front of it.
"I think we have a long way to go. I'm glad that Peter Dutton has started taking the steps required."
Mr Joyce said recent live fire exercises conducted by three Chinese warships off the New South Wales coast highlighted how Beijing was "practicing for war".
"We have to realise that when China went off the coast... and did live fire exercises, that is practicing," he said.
"What are they practicing? Well they're obviously practicing for conflict, they're practicing for war off the coast of Sydney.
"And yet... the penny doesn't seem to have dropped for Australia."
In recent weeks, a Chinese research vessel has also circumnavigated the southern coast of Australia, while reports emerged Russia requested to use an air force base in Indonesia.
"In the circumnavigation of Australia, basically having their so-called research vessel, stooge through Bass Strait, obviously working out the oceanography and where the cables are," Mr Joyce said.
"Getting their tactical data that they require for whatever they intend to do for Melbourne.
"Now we have obviously the continued discussion and the continued allegations, or maybe they're stronger than that, from Janes journal about Russians wanting to build a base... within striking distance of Australia."
Defence Minister Richard Marles earlier his month said he had discussed the Janes report with his Indonesian counterpart and had been informed suggestions of Russian planes operating out of the country were simply "not true".
However, the government repeatedly refused to rule out whether such a request was actually made.