Chief of the Defence Force, Mark Binskin retired yesterday, handing over command of the military, and making candid remarks about China in his final interview.
When asked about China’s growth since he became the Chief of Defence in 2014, the Air Chief Marshal agreed that China’s position has changed and that it’s very concerning that there are features of militarisation in their stance in the Pacific.
In his visit to Washington in 2015, China’s President Xi Jinping said that China had no intention to militarise their islands in the Pacific, but Binskin’s comments mirror the concern of international actors that China mightn’t hold to this promise.