No Way Mr. President: Australia Flat Out Rejected American Missiles Meant for China

Michael Peck

Security, Asia

Painting a target on its back.

So why isn’t Australia jumping at the opportunity to be a U.S. missile base? Some Australians might object to making Australia a bigger target in a potential U.S.-China conflict (bonus question: will these American missiles be capable of carrying nuclear warheads?).  

Australia has a close defense relationship with America. But that doesn’t mean Oz wants to jeopardize its relations with China by allowing the United States to station missiles on its territory.

Both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defense Minister Linda Reynolds have quashed the notion that American intermediate-range missiles—which would be aimed at China—could be stationed in northern Australia. Their responses came after U.S. Defense Secretary Mike Esper said that the U.S. hopes to station intermediate-range missiles in Asia, leading to speculation that Australia would be a prime candidate.

Esper’s statements came after the United States withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union, which banned land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (300 to 3,400 miles). The treaty has been hailed by arms control experts for heading off a nuclear arms race between the U.S., and the Soviet Union/post-Communist Russia. But the Trump administration has withdrawn from the treaty after alleging Russian violations. China isn’t an INF treaty signatory, and has amassed a huge ballistic missile arsenal, spurring American interest in developing and stationing intermediate-range missiles in Asia.

But they won’t be coming to Australia. “It’s not been asked of us, not being considered, not been put to us,” said Morrison. “I think I can rule a line under that.”