Galwan clash: China not committed to established body of rules like Australia-India, says Oz High Co
Lashing out at China for its unilateral move to alter the status quo in the South China Sea, Australian envoy Barry O'Farrell said that Beijing is not as committed as Australia and India to the established body of rules. Without naming China, the envoy said that both the nations are grappling with the implications of creeping authoritarianism and the risks it poses of democracy, transparency and openness. Asserting that Beijing’s moves to unilaterally alter the status quo in the South China Sea are not in line with consensus building and dialogue, O'Farrell said that frameworks which have underpinned the post-World War II era needs to be protected. 'Creeping authoritarianism a grave risk to democracy, transparency and openness' India and Australia have similar shared worries, he said while speaking at Vivekananda International Foundation. With power comes responsibility and we have reason to worry that Beijing is not as committed to post-World War II era framework as we are, O'Farrell said. On the Indo-Pacific, the Australian envoy said that both Australia and India have a shared interest in ensuring that no one power dominates the region. “This shared vision for a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific has underpinned the remarkable growth in our bilateral defence relationship,” he added. 'No one power can dominate the Indo-Pacific' Expressing confidence on the India-Australia bilateral ties the envoy said twenty years ago the bilateral defence relationship was nearly non-existent but today “we are among each other’s top three or four most important defence partners.” These remarks by the Australian High Commissioner come amid a tense standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley where a fierce clash between the Chinese PLA and the Indian Army led to casualties from both sides. India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership signing seven key agreements including a landmark pact for reciprocal access to military bases and another on rare earth minerals during an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
