Australia, Singapore Say China Should Not Worry About Defense Treaty

In an effort to allay China’s concerns on increased military cooperation between Singapore and Australia, the prime ministers of the two countries said on Thursday that their defense pact is not an attempt to contain China. The two countries agreed on a deal that would dramatically expand northern Australian training facilities.

Singaporean and Australian officials signed a treaty in which Singapore will spend up to 2.25 billion Australian dollars to double the capacity of its facilities in military training areas in Queensland state.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that China was the largest trading partner of both Australia and Singapore. He doesn’t think that the Chinese would see the two countries as a bloc against them.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he agreed with Lee and his opinion that the US military presence in the region had strengthened its prosperity and stability for the past 40 years.

The prime ministers of both countries also wished the US Congress would decide to join the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Both presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have come out against the accord however.

The Singapore military will triple their yearly admission to the Australian training grounds to 18 weeks. Hence, rrom 6,600, the Singapore troop numbers will increase to 14,000.

The Chinese Embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China has been unfavorable of a similar agreement between Australia and the United States. The two countries plan on developing the northern Australian city of Darwin into a developing training center for US Marines.

Same deal with the U.S.

The United States and Australia reached a cost-sharing deal last week to pay for at least AU$2 billion in infrastructure. This amount would build-up the training center to have the capacity for up to 2,500 Marines.

Since the first delegation of 200 Marines visited in 2012, the number of Marines alternating through Darwin has increased. The recent rotation of 1,100 Marines left Darwin on Thursday after six months.

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