【澳大利亚人报】General Peter Cosgrove alert, not alarmed by China

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General Peter Cosgrove alert, not alarmed by China


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25425027-12377,00.html
May 04, 2009               

                                                                                         
CHINAis on its way to becoming a superpower but Australia is not underthreat from it or any of its overseas military campaigns, formerdefence force chief General Peter Cosgrove says.

His comments follow the release on Saturday of Australia's first defence white paper in nine years.

The 140-page document commits the Government to increasing defencefunding in real terms by three per cent per year from its current $22.7billion annual funding until 2017-18, and then by 2.2 per cent until2030.

It says China will be Asia's strongest military power "by aconsiderable margin'' and warns that the pace and scope of China'sgrowth has the potential to give its neighbours cause for concern.

General Cosgrove says the document strikes a balance between concern and reality.

"I think the rise of any nation to true superpower status - andChina is sort of on the way there - I think that it's something if youdon't note that in a security sense you're mad,'' he said.

"We're not running around declaring China a threat, we're saying it's a factor.

"That's what I think the white paper seeks to tell us. It will be a different set of strategic factors in 20 or 30 years.''

General Cosgrove also said Australia's military presence inAfghanistan, and its peace-keeping role in the Asia-Pacific region, didnot pose a security threat.

"Both of those don't have a direct and immediate impact on our sense of security here in the homeland,'' he said.

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