Penny Wong Raises Serious Concerns With Wang Yi Over China Missile Test

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Bloomberg, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday, July 21, expressed serious concerns to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi over China’s recent missile test during an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in the Philippines, saying the provocative military action lacked transparency and was not conducive to regional peace and stability. A Chinese submarine launched a ballistic missile carrying a simulated warhead on July 6, with monitoring groups saying it ultimately landed in waters between the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu. Wong told media on Wednesday, July 22, that Australia had made clear directly to China that it viewed the launch as destabilizing, and said Canberra wants peace, stability and prosperity in the region and for all countries, including major powers, to abide by international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Before meeting Wang, Wong told Bloomberg that the security environment was severe and the Asia-Pacific was undergoing its largest military buildup since World War II, while China’s defense spending has risen by more than 6% a year since 2016. After the meeting, Wang said China was willing to strengthen engagement with Australia, build mutual trust, expand cooperation and promote further progress in bilateral ties, while urging Australia to uphold the principle of noninterference in internal affairs and reject double standards. Meanwhile, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the South China Sea code of conduct is likely to be finalized in November at the 49th ASEAN summit in Manila.