China's 'Salami Slicing Tactics' Risk: Expert Says Australia and Partners Must Condemn

Central News Agency

(Central News Agency, Sydney, May 5) Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, a strategic expert at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told the Central News Agency that China has long been carrying out maritime expansion using 'salami slicing tactics,' and that Australia and its partner countries must continue to condemn China's actions regarding the South China Sea and Taiwan.

ASPI's website recently launched a series of four articles titled 'Expanding Frontiers,' focusing on how China's military power impacts the first island chain, how China is gradually consolidating its normalized deployment in the South China Sea, how China's external expansion may exacerbate regional conflicts, and how China is intensifying changes in the Indo-Pacific situation. The series reminds Australia and its partners that they must squarely face China's continued maritime expansion using 'salami slicing tactics.'

The series of articles was co-authored by Rajagopalan, a visiting professor at the National Chung Hsing University's Graduate Institute of International Politics and now a senior fellow at ASPI, and Linus Cohen, a senior analyst at ASPI, and Joe Keary, a researcher at ASPI.

Rajagopalan said in a phone interview with the Central News Agency that Australia and its Indo-Pacific partners continue to be troubled by China's 'tactic of salami slicing.' She explained that China continues to mobilize warships and civilian vessels to appear in the constantly disputed South China Sea, attempting to normalize China's activities in the region, which is a concrete practice of China's 'salami slicing tactics.'

She reminded that for China, the South China Sea is just a stepping stone. She believes that China's greater intention is in the Southwest Pacific, adjacent to Australian waters, and the Indian Ocean. She pointed out that China aims to 'dilute the influence of the United States in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.'

Rajagopalan said: 'The South China Sea is close to China, so China started its expansion from the South China Sea, which is just China's starting point. China is further attempting to deploy maritime strongholds, continue maritime activities, and expand maritime influence in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.'

She cited an example: in February last year, three Chinese warships conducted live-fire exercises off the east coast of Australia, and then sailed around the entire island of Australia. It is noteworthy that China did not even notify Australia before the exercises. Australian authorities only learned about it after a pilot from Virgin Australia reported it.

Rajagopalan pointed out that although China's actions did not violate the law, they posed a risk to regional security. She said: 'Legally speaking, China's actions may not have crossed the line, but its behavior is extremely dangerous. Taking such actions without communication is highly likely to trigger conflict, which is a very serious problem.'

Facing China's maritime expansion using 'salami slicing tactics,' Rajagopalan reminded that Australia and its partner countries must formulate joint response measures, and for each inappropriate action by China, they must condemn it one by one.

She also reminded that the Australian government should strengthen communication with the broader society to make the Australian public understand Taiwan's situation and thus recognize China's continuous external expansion intentions. (Edited by: Tang Sheng-yang) 1150505

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