Television Interview, Sunrise

SUBJECT/S: Chinese Missile Test-Firing; Vuvale Union and Ocean of Peace Alliance

HOST, MATT SHIRVINGTON: Yeah. Well, China appears to be testing peace in the Pacific this morning after firing a nuclear capable missile armed with a dummy warhead right on Australia's doorstep.

HOST, NATALIE BARR: Despite the significance of this launch, our government only got the heads up two hours before. It also came just hours after we signed a historic defence pact with Fiji. Live now to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles. Good morning to you. Is it true we only got the warning two hours before and is that a breach of international law?

ACTING PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Well, it is true that that's when we got the warning, but I think the warning is less the issue than the actual test itself, and the capability that was being tested. As you've just said, it's a long range capable missile which, as the Chinese have said, is nuclear capable. It was launched from a submarine which has its own implications. This is a demonstration of China being able to deploy a nuclear weapon at a much greater range. And all of that is hugely destabilising and we are deeply concerned about it, and we've expressed that concern directly to China. And it flies in the face of obviously what we are trying to do, which is to build relationships with the countries in our region so that together we can provide for the collective peace and security of the region in which we live.

SHIRVINGTON: Minister, what are China's international obligations in regards to allowing people to understand what they're doing with this missile? The airlines, etcetera who are crisscrossing the Pacific on an hourly, minute-by-minute basis. What are China's obligations here and have they followed those rules?

MARLES: Well I mean, there are obligations in terms of doing any military test to do so in a manner which is safe and, and which does notify, you know, the commercial traffic. But, to be honest, I think focusing on that is less the issue than the test that was actually being undertaken. Because even if all of that had been done in accordance with the rules, and maybe it was- the test itself and the capability which is being demonstrated is innately destabilising. That's our concern. I mean, our concern is the capability that's being demonstrated here: a much longer range capability and one which China itself is saying, is nuclear capable and from a submarine. And that is, that's the concern that we're expressing here. That is what is undermining. And I think, you know, when we look at what China has done over a long period, we are seeing them engaging in a very significant military build up, but it's doing so without providing strategic reassurance, which is to say it's not really explaining to the world why it is engaging in this military buildup. And that's very different to the way in which we go about things. I mean, when we increase our defence spending or get a new capability, we spend a lot of time talking to countries around the world about why we're doing it and what our intent is. We don't have that from China and that is what's fundamentally destabilising and that's our concern.

BARR: Yes. So, when you talk about your concern, exactly what is Australia's concern? That they could launch more, that they could attack us?

MARLES: Our concern is that we are seeing the biggest conventional military build up in the world since the end of the Second World War- that's what China is undertaking. And they are doing that without an explanation to the world, certainly to Australia, but to the world more generally about why it is engaging in such a military buildup- that is fundamentally destabilising. I mean, it's one of the key factors which goes to the very strategic, the very complex strategic environment that we face today. Now, you know what we are doing, we are increasing our defence capabilities, we are working much more closely with countries in our region and around the world. And the Vuvale Union that we've just signed with Fiji is an example of that. But in all that we do, we make it really clear to our neighbours, to the region and to the world more broadly, why we are engaging in the military steps, the military buildups that we're undertaking. China's not doing that. And to engage in that kind of military build up without that strategic reassurance with capabilities such as what they've demonstrated here, which have long range, which go well beyond their borders and which have the ability to deploy a nuclear weapon, which they themselves have said, all of that is obviously deeply destabilising.

SHIRVINGTON: Yeah, it's very concerning, isn't it? Richard Marles, thanks for your time.

MARLES: Thank you.

ENDS