Australia would join US to defend Taiwan, defence minister says

Peter Dutton said it ‘would be inconceivable’ for Canberra not to support Washington

Secretary of State Blinken said earlier this week the US and its allies would take unspecified ‘action’ if Taiwan were attacked

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Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:48am, 13 Nov 2021Updated: 9:51am, 13 Nov 2021

It would be “inconceivable” for Australia not to join the United States should Washington take action to defend Taiwan, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said on Saturday.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said America and its allies would take unspecified “action” if Beijing were to use force to alter the status quo over Taiwan.

“It would be inconceivable that we wouldn’t support the US in an action if the US chose to take that action,” Dutton told The Australian newspaper in an interview.

“And, again, I think we should be very frank and honest about that, look at all of the facts and circumstances without pre-committing, and maybe there are circumstances where we wouldn’t take up that option, [but] I can’t conceive of those circumstances.”

China’s military said on Tuesday it conducted a combat readiness patrol in the direction of the Taiwan Strait, after its defence ministry condemned a visit by a US congressional delegation to Taipei, the democratically governed island claimed by Beijing.