Richard Marles said Beijing’s growing assertiveness posed challenges for Canberra, which relied on maintaining the existing rules-based order. (EPA Images pic)CEBU: Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Thursday that China's military build-up was creating a "condition of pressure" in Southeast Asia, and urged allies and partners to deepen cooperation.
Beijing deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol disputed areas of the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.
In July, Australia protested China's test of a nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific, calling the launch "destabilising".
