Russia and China pose no military threat to Australia’s national security, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Monday, TASS reproted.
"We have a different perspective on Russia and China, clearly. We do not see Russia or China as posing a military threat to Australia," Bishop told Sky News television commenting on the new US National Defense Strategy unveiled by Pentagon Chief James Mattis recently, according to which Russia and China are undermining the existing world order threatening the United States.
"We continue to work closely with China. We undertake military exercises with China as well as other countries in the region and will continue to do so," she stressed.
For his part, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull later told reporters "there is no country in the region that shows any hostile intent towards Australia" other than North Korea.