Chinese and Australian militaries revive suspended defence talks as tensions rise

The dialogue, last held in 2019, comes a week after Beijing accuses Australia of intruding into its airspace during South China Sea patrol

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The Chinese navy’s Zunyi destroyer is one of the ships belonging to a naval task force spotted off the northeast coast of Australia on Thursday. Photo: CCTV

Published: 4:08pm, 18 Feb 2025Updated: 4:36pm, 18 Feb 2025

The Chinese and Australian militaries resumed high-level annual defence talks this week, reopening an important channel for security dialogue amid escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific.

The 23rd China-Australia Defence Strategic Dialogue took place in Beijing on Monday in the first such talks since 2019.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to resume the dialogue during their Annual Leaders’ Meeting in June, according to Albanese.

The dialogue – the top annual forum for discussion between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Australian Department of Defence – has been in place since 1997 but was suspended starting in 2020.

“The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the relations between the two countries and two militaries, regional security and other issues of common concern,” China’s defence ministry said of the talks on Monday.

Both parties “agreed to continue strengthening strategic communication in the defence field, properly handle disputes and differences, and carry out exchanges and cooperation”, the statement from Beijing added.

This year’s dialogue was co-hosted by General Xu Qiling, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department under China’s Central Military Commission, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, vice-chief of the Australian Defence Force, and Hugh Jeffrey, Australia’s deputy secretary of defence strategy, policy and industry.