Trump sends US Indo-Pacific commander Down Under amid tensions with China

The man responsible for America's preparations in the event of a conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific region has met with Australian officials to discuss their shared concerns.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Minister for Defence for Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy, and other senior defence officials in Canberra.

While Paparo is not scheduled to travel to New Zealand, his visit to the Australian capital signals Donald Trump's renewed focus on the Pacific. The US President has been criticised for neglecting the region since his return to the White House.

With two months to go in his first 100 days in office, Trump has signed 75 executive orders. These include withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, eliminating USAid, imposing trade tariffs, and implementing stricter immigration policies.

"America, as the leader of the free world defending American interests, is going to need to make sure we're focused properly on the Communist Chinese and their ambitions in the Indo-Pacific and around the world," Pete Hegseth, the new US Defence Secretary, told journalists while visiting Germany last week to outline the Pentagon's plan to end the war in Ukraine.

During his talks in Canberra, Paparo highlighted the importance of building the US-Australia Alliance, modernising Australia’s defence force, expanding training opportunities such as the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin and Talisman Sabre, and deterring regional threats across various domains.

The US State Department reports that Paparo participated in a think tank discussion at the National Security College within the Australian National University. Topics included threat assessments for the Indo-Pacific region and how the US and Australia can use strategic posture as a means of deterrence.

He also met with students and staff at the Australian War College to share insights on military education and leadership, highlighting the important role the students will play in the future of the US-Australia bilateral relationship.

Paparo also participated in a Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial to honour fallen members of the Australian armed forces.

"The US-Australia Alliance is an anchor for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world," he says.

US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, left, and Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones, speak with staff and students at the Australian War College in Canberra. Photo/pacom.mil

"Increased cooperation and military integration have further deepened the strong bilateral relationship and advance both countries’ shared interest in maintaining freedom of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea.

"USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict."

The recent high-level discussions in Canberra follow a "dangerous" incident involving Chinese and Australian military aircraft over the South China Sea a week ago, as well as Chinese naval drills in the Tasman Sea last weekend.

Marles told media that Chinese fighter jets fired flares within 30 metres of an Australian military P-8 reconnaissance jet in the South China Sea on 18 February.

He warns that if those flares had been ingested into the P-8 jet engines, they could have caused catastrophic damage.

Australian Navy sailors on HMAS Arunta keep watch on China's (PLA-N) Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu and Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang in the Tasman Sea. Photo/Royal Australian Navy

“They could have hit our P-8, and had that occurred, it would have done significant damage to our aircraft, and that obviously puts in danger the lives of our personnel,” said the Australian Deputy Prime Minister.

Concerns have escalated in New Zealand and Australia over the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's unprecedented firepower in the waters between them.

Wellington and Canberra are worried as more information emerges about how much advance notice Beijing provided about the exercises.

The situation intensified this week after a Chinese naval task group conducted a second live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea, just one day after an earlier drill.

New Zealand and Australian officials criticised Beijing for not providing sufficient advance notice, claiming that commercial flights received alerts only mid-air.

NZ Defence Minister Judith Collins and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo/RNZ/Marika Khabazi

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Marles announced on Saturday that China had not given adequate notice for the live-fire exercise conducted by its navy on Friday, which caused several commercial flights across the Tasman to divert their routes.

Media reports indicate that three flights from Sydney bound for Christchurch and Queenstown were already airborne on Friday morning when a Chinese warship notified them of the live-fire drill.

Australia's air traffic control agency head told a parliamentary committee that the Chinese naval live-fire exercises forced 49 flights to change their paths.

New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins expressed disappointment that Beijing did not inform NZ about sending a “highly capable” strike force with “enormous power” down the east coast of Australia.

But China has responded by saying that Australia is making "hyped up" and "unreasonable accusations” over its recent live-fire drills.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian disputes Australia’s account as being “completely inconsistent with the facts,” saying that China has repeatedly issued safety notices before any drills.

“China’s actions are in full compliance with international law and international practices and will not affect aviation flight safety.

“Australia, knowing this well, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up. We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied with this," Wu says.