The Five Power Defense Arrangement (FPDA) is the second treaty that could see us become involved in the South China Sea. Malaysia and Singapore, our regional partners in FPDA, are both littoral to the sea, but while Malaysia is a claimant to several island features, both countries have been relatively mild in their anti-China rhetoric. Also, Singapore recently concluded a four-day bilateral naval exercise with China.
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Strategically, freedom of navigation is an important interest for Australia, particularly through the archipelagos to our north, but as I cautioned in an earlier post , it would be unwise of Australia to become associated with the currently unilateral, and legally questionable, assertions by the U.S. Such an involvement would do nothing for our image as an independent player in the region.
Australia has a clear strategic interest in the situation in the South China Sea not deteriorating further. However, the situation there is messy, and we should have our eye on our broader regional relations. As Peter Drysdale recently pointed out Asia takes Australia seriously as a “crucial element in Asia’s security in terms of strategic resource and energy supply.” That’s where the bigger picture and our interests in the South China Sea lie. The sea itself isn’t that important to Australia. Rather, it’s our broader regional role.