Australian officials confirmed Monday that their country will not be used as a base for any planned U.S. mid-range missiles following talks with American officials in Sydney.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at last weekend’s meetings that he wanted to deploy intermediate-range conventional missiles at various Asia-Pacific sites within months.
The move follows the Trump administration’s withdrawal from a Cold War-era arms control treaty with Russia. It also comes in the wake of Chinese military expansion in the Asia-Pacific and is likely to anger Beijing.
Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said Monday that while the locations for the missile bases were not yet known, Australia would not be one of them. She said Mr. Esper made no such request, and no such request was expected from the U.S.
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