Australia won’t commit in advance to joining hypothetical US-China conflict, Pat Conroy says

Comments come amid reports Washington seeking guarantees about how Canberra would respond in event of Indo-Pacific conflictFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia will refuse any US request to join a “hypothetical” conflict with China over Taiwan and won’t make any advance commitment, the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, has said, amid reports Washington is seeking such promises in discussions over the Aukus submarines.Conroy called on China to be more transparent about its military buildup, but said any commitment to war would be the sole power of the Australian government of the day. It came after multiple reports this week that the Pentagon was seeking guarantees from Australia and other allies about how they would respond in the event of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

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