In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Andrew Hastie, shadow minister for defence, to discuss the government’s response to the recent “gunboat” diplomacy by China.

The pair also discuss the following:

• Is the government trying to keep the Australian public calm by talking down the actions of the Chinese naval task force currently off the east coast of Australia?
• Does the Australian Defence Force have the tools and resources it needs to stand up to a great power adversary, particularly following the changes in posture and focus by the US government?
• What are the steps we need to take in order to make Australia less susceptible to coercion by a great power and build our resilience and make sure that Australia isn’t compromised in the event of conflict in the region?

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team