US and Australian militaries have struck their own secretive deal.

[Ransom]

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/u...a-usfpi-2019-7

If approved, the proposed Darwin project would be one of the biggest US military developments in Australia in recent years. However, despite that implication, authorities on both sides of the Pacific are reluctant to speak about the project.

This article nearly a year old, I was wondering if anyone had an update. Is this an ongoing project in Darwin, Australia.

The US is also funding a project in Geraldton in Western Australia and last year sent more than 1,500 US Marines to the Top End — its largest-ever rotation of US naval forces 15in Australia. The US already operates Pine Gap, its highly secretive intelligence base, in Alice Springs and has agreements with the Australia government to use several RAAF bases.

A project in Darwin....a project in Geraldton...1500 Marines to The Top End, I gather that's the furthest northern point? The US already operatives Pine Gap that is an intel base in Alice Springs...….an increase in US presence good for both countries.

It comes less than a week after both the US and Australian governments expressed their concern over a secret deal struck between Cambodia and China.The pact would allow the Chinese military to access the Cambodian Ream naval base near Sihanoukville, according to the Wall Street Journal. Both Cambodia and China have denied the report.
Now it appears that the US and Australian militaries have struck their own secretive deal.

It appears there are those in Australia who do ally with the US and consider China their real threat. Some down under have figured it out.

[Ransom]

First research on the increased presence of US troops in Australia.

The U.S. military's pivot to the Pacific to counter China’s rising dominance reached an important milestone this week when the number of Marines deployed to Australia reached 2,500.
After years of buildup, the Marine air-ground task force that spends half a year in Australia's Northern Territory has reached its fully intended size, Aussie officials announced Thursday.


"This milestone demonstrates the enduring nature of the Australia-U.S. alliance and our deep engagement with the Indo-Pacific region," Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said. "The Marine Rotational Force-Darwin improves interoperability between Australian and U.S. defence forces, and enhances our ability to work together with regional partners in the interests of stability and security in the Indo-Pacific."
The U.S. first agreed to send 2,500 Marines Down Under during the Obama administration. The number grew from a 200-person company of Marines that deployed to Darwin in 2012. This spring, the eighth iteration of the Marine Rotational Force was 1,700 strong, including infantry Marines, logistics capabilities and aircraft.

The U.S. military's pivot to the Pacific to counter China’s rising dominance now includes 2500 Marines.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...s-buildup.html

[Ransom]

http://www.spiritofeureka.org/index....ralia-pine-gap

Not everyone is happy.

[HawkTheSlayer]

http://www.spiritofeureka.org/index....ralia-pine-gap

Not everyone is happy.

Great . Aussie's already know the Chinese are rampantly trying to take over the continent.
All conservatives in oz hate their guts ! And rightfully so !
They would never try that $#@! in the states. Outright.

[Red Lily]

This deal was spun into the works after the leftist Northern Territory government leased (read sold) one of Australia's most strategic ports, Darwin Port, to the Chinese for 99 years. Sheer lunacy!

The leftist state of Western Australia sold an airport to the Chinese for $1. Yup ONE dollar!

Conservative Aussies are happy to expand the US presence but leftist moonbats are the same worldwide.

[PJL]

This deal was spun into the works after the leftist Northern Territory government leased (read sold) one of Australia's most strategic ports, Darwin Port, to the Chinese for 99 years. Sheer lunacy!

The leftist state of Western Australia sold an airport to the Chinese for $1. Yup ONE dollar!

Conservative Aussies are happy to expand the US presence but leftist moonbats are the same worldwide.

Both the WA and NT governments are from the conservative side of Australian politics , so your childish reference to "leftist moonbats" is the opposite of what you're saying . There was a public lease for part of the Port of Darwin , and a Chinese company won the tender ......and no , it's not a military expansion by China , to park warships in Australia ....it's a commercial venture about future trading . Smart move by the Chinese company , as Darwin and the top end will be opening up , and expanding the trade with Asia . You paranoid Americans just love clutching at any straws you can find to clutch onto . ........as far as this secret deal between China and Cambodia goes , it sounds more like the usual fake news to get people to think " ahhhhhhh , the Chinese are coming , the Chinese are coming!"......fact is , you will find that the majority of Asian countries don't want US warships or involvement in their region , any more than Americans want Chinese or Russian ships parked in the Gulf of Mexico................next?

[PJL]

Great . Aussie's already know the Chinese are rampantly trying to take over the continent.
All conservatives in oz hate their guts ! And rightfully so !
They would never try that $#@! in the states. Outright.

Your link shows Australians protesting about foreign military bases in Australia , mainly the US surveillance base at Pine Gap ........don't you have some hawks to go and slay , somewhere ?

[PJL]

First research on the increased presence of US troops in Australia.



The U.S. military's pivot to the Pacific to counter China’s rising dominance now includes 2500 Marines.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...s-buildup.html

This is normal between procedure allies . There's nothing in your link that remotely indicates that it's aimed at China.....(lol) . China's rise is not about "dominance" , it's about business and trading.....the US just has it's nose out of joint because they can't control it , and skim all the cream , then give it to the corporations who pay them.

[Ransom]

This is normal between procedure allies . There's nothing in your link that remotely indicates that it's aimed at China.....(lol) . China's rise is not about "dominance" , it's about business and trading.....the US just has it's nose out of joint because they can't control it , and skim all the cream , then give it to the corporations who pay them.

So...

The five Australian naval vessels that sailed through the South China Sea a week ago and were confronted by Chinese ships isn't 'aimed' at China?

These Australian vessels later joining the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and a Japanese destroyer for a “trilateral exercise” in the Philippine Sea and will take part in the annual 'Rim Of The Pacific' exercises off Hawaii next month.....but that isn't about China either?

My links just spoke to expanding the role of the Australian military base in Darwin that is used on a rotational basis by US Marines. It reportedly wants to base missiles and test weapons systems at the site, which opens onto the South China Sea....these missiles and weapons testing nothing to do with China?

And US and Australian forces will jointly patrol the South Pacific out of Darwin and monitor China’s actions in the South China Sea through the Manus Island naval base in Papua New Guinea, which is also being upgraded...but that doesn't have anything to do with China?

Denial......ain't no Egyptian River, PJL.

[Red Lily]

Both the WA and NT governments are from the conservative side of Australian politics , so your childish reference to "leftist moonbats" is the opposite of what you're saying . There was a public lease for part of the Port of Darwin , and a Chinese company won the tender ......and no , it's not a military expansion by China , to park warships in Australia ....it's a commercial venture about future trading . Smart move by the Chinese company , as Darwin and the top end will be opening up , and expanding the trade with Asia . You paranoid Americans just love clutching at any straws you can find to clutch onto . ........as far as this secret deal between China and Cambodia goes , it sounds more like the usual fake news to get people to think " ahhhhhhh , the Chinese are coming , the Chinese are coming!"......fact is , you will find that the majority of Asian countries don't want US warships or involvement in their region , any more than Americans want Chinese or Russian ships parked in the Gulf of Mexico................next?

The NT CLP government, who sold/leased Darwin Port, do label themselves conservative but are independent of the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia (who are the true conservatives) and describe themselves as having “progressive political policy” so they aren't true conservatives. They are progressives. Look up the difference.

The Mark McGowan WA government is most definitely 'liberal' (Australian Labor Party) and are the opposite of conservative. Several members of McGowan's WA government have been caught with their pants down for having too close a relationship with China as have many other leftist MPs.

On the short list of leftist politicians bought and paid for by the CCP are Dastyari and Moselmane and then we also have Chinese billionaire Huang Xianmo delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to ALP headquarters in Aldi shopping bags.

The airport in WA was sold for $1 to a Chinese state run company and anyone wishing to land there has to obtain permission from China Southern.

You'd have to be either incredibly naive or incredibly stupid to consider that selling strategic assets like this to China is in any way a positive thing. After reading your posts I'd put you in the latter category.

Quite simply, you don't know what you are talking about!