US and Australia boost defense ties to counter China's influence

The United States and Australia have announced plans to boost defense ties and strengthen deterrence amid China's growing influence in the Pacific.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, in Washington on Wednesday, saying Canberra understood "the gravity of maintaining a favorable balance of power in the region."

Marles told reporters that "American force ⁠posture ⁠in Australia is growing" and that the expanding cooperation was a response to "the biggest conventional military build-up by any country in the world since the Second World War in the form of China."

"We need to be ensuring that we build deterrence, that we build balance, so that we can provide for the peace and stability of the region in which we live," he added.

What did the two countries agree?

The Pentagon said the two countries agreed to "accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases, bolster cooperation in combined logistics, and build greater interoperability through joint exercises."

The force posture initiatives are agreements allowing the US military to train and store equipment in Australia, including the rotational deployment of aircraft and logistics support for US vessels.

While Australia does not permit foreign military bases on its soil, it does host several key joint exercises and rotations of US Marines in the northern city of Darwin. It was not clear if the agreement will see more US troops stationed in Australia.

According to the Pentagon, the two countries also discussed progress on cooperation "to enable shared capacity for guided weapons and next-generation capabilities."

Hegseth said in a statement ⁠that ​there was "strong alignment" between the national defense strategies of both countries.

He also stressed the importance of allies investing in their own sovereign security and the need for them to "both plan together but also ensure our capabilities match and are complementary."

Australia has sought to strengthen its defense force in recent years, focusing on boosting its missile strike capability and deepening strategic alliances.

Cooperation between the US and Australia also includes the AUKUS defense pact with Britain. As part of that pact, American defense personnel are working at the HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia, which is set to host a rotating force of US-commanded submarines from 2027.

China has called the AUKUS pact dangerous and warned it could spark a regional arms race.