Contributed from Victoria

The Australian Defence Forces (ADF) must be confined to defending of our continent and not deployed in overseas wars, says the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).

IPAN is appalled by the statement made by Peter Jennings, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) executive director, in relation to “the latest military manoeuvres around Taiwan,” describing this as “the emerging front line of Australia’s defence”.

There is great concern over Jennings’s statement that the ADF must be battle-ready as China-Taiwan tensions flare up and the claim: “Defence must now plan for the real military challenges it could face in the near future”.

IPAN calls for such warmongering to be condemned and urges the Australian Government to explicitly state that Australia has no intention of joining a U.S. war with China over Taiwan. Australia should be urging a peaceful resolution to the internal conflict between China and Taiwan.

The ASPI is a partisan organisation, funded by the Australian and US government, and by arms manufacturers. It pushes anti-China views at every opportunity, and shows an inability to think outside belligerent actions, and is unable to consider that diplomacy should be the first option to resolve conflicts.

Sky News host, Catherine McGregor is another voice speaking of the “inevitability” of war with China.  she expressed her concerns on air, claiming that; “…Australia is not ready for conflict,” and “whether we like it or not…we are integrated into the United States war fighting system”.

She over blows any threat to Australian soil, by claiming that U.S. bases in Australia mean that “…we will be the ‘first target, if China launches an attack against Taiwan”. This she must presume, is the reason why Australia must go to war. Some might ask, what if Australia acted independently and there were no U.S. military bases on our soil?

“We are in this. There is no option for neutrality, So our preparedness, in my view, is lagging,” she concluded.

IPAN’s spokesperson, Alison Bronowski stated: “China’s relationship with its Taiwanese province is an internal matter and peaceful resolution to this relationship is not encouraged by belligerent warmongering. “

“A peaceful future for Australia lies in orienting our ADF to defence of our continent only and keeping Australia out of big power wars, she said. “

IPAN is conducting a national Inquiry into the cost and consequences of Australia’s involvement in US wars and the alliance and the alternatives and is calling for submissions.