'We have a different perspective': Julie Bishop distances Australia from US on China, Russia threat
2018-01-29 09:21:34 source：The Sydney Morning Herald
January 29, 2018
The Turnbull government has distanced itself from a central theme of the Trump administration's new national defence strategy, which defines growing Russian and Chinese military might as greater threats than terrorism.
The American strategic outlook, unveiled earlier this month by Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, elevates "inter-state strategic competition" as the administration's primary focus and outlines Russia and China as authoritarian and revisionist powers seeking to challenge the US, undermine free and open economies and grow their militaries.
But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Monday said neither country posed a military threat to Australia – a statement at odds with Defence Minister Marise Payne, who recently said Australia shared "similar concerns" to the US on national security threats.
"We have a different perspective on Russia and China, clearly. We do not see Russia or China as posing a military threat to Australia," Ms Bishop told Sky News.
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