Election 2016: Federal Labor would green-light South China Sea military exercise: Conroy

The United States has recently angered China by sending military ships and aircraft into the region including flying two B-52 bombers over the disputed islands.

Stephen Conroy says the regional security challenge posed by China building artificial islands in the South China Sea needs to be directly addressed.

“We believe our Defence Force should be authorised to conduct freedom of navigation operations consistent with international law.”

Such freedom of navigation exercises are backed by the former defence minister and Labor leader Kim Beazley, who has also recently returned from his role as ambassador to Washington.

“We should not do it with fanfare. We should not do it on the basis of mocking and humiliating. We should not do it on the basis of confrontation. We should do it on the basis of the law,” Mr Beazley said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-16/labor-would-approve-south-china-sea-military-exercise/7518330