Australia will not commit troops in advance to any conflict, minister says

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy stated on Sunday that Australia will not deploy troops in advance for any conflict, addressing a report that the Pentagon has urged its ally to specify its potential role if a war erupted between the U.S. and China over Taiwan.

Australia emphasizes its sovereignty and “we don’t entertain hypotheticals,” Conroy stated in a conversation with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A report noted on Saturday that Elbridge Colby, the U.S. under-secretary of defense for policy, has been urging Australian and Japanese defense officials on their responses in a Taiwan conflict, despite the U.S. not providing an unconditional guarantee to defend Taiwan.

Colby shared on X that the Department of Defense is executing President Donald Trump’s, “America First” agenda of restoring deterrence, which includes “urging allies to step up their defense spending and other efforts related to our collective defense”.

China considers Taiwan, which is governed democratically, as part of its territory and has not dismissed the possibility of using force to assert control over it. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te dismisses China’s sovereignty assertions, stating that the determination of their future lies solely with the people of Taiwan.

Australia’s biggest military exercise with the United States, featuring 30,000 soldiers from 19 nations, begins on Sunday at Sydney Harbour. Conroy stated that Australia is worried about China’s expansion of nuclear and conventional military capabilities and desires a balanced Indo-Pacific area without any dominant nation.

“China is seeking to secure a military base in the region and we are working very hard to be the primary security partner of choice for the region because we don’t think that’s a particularly optimal thing for Australia,” he said, referring to the Pacific Islands.

Security is anticipated to be discussed when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with China’s leaders this week. He landed in Shanghai on Saturday for a visit lasting six days. The Talisman Sabre exercise will cover 6,500 km (4,000 miles), stretching from Australia’s Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island to the Coral Sea along Australia’s eastern shoreline.

Conroy stated that it was likely China’s navy would monitor the exercise for intelligence, as it had previously.

Australia’s primary security partner is the United States. While Australia doesn’t allow foreign military bases, the U.S. is increasing its rotating presence and fuel reserves on Australian bases, with U.S. Virginia submarines expected to dock in Western Australia starting in 2027. Analysts assert that these would be crucial in aiding U.S. forces during any conflict regarding Taiwan.