Australia excludes China, Russia from naval conference
ANKARA (AA) – Australia did not invite China or Russia to a major international naval conference that began on Tuesday in Sydney, local media reported.
This is the first time the biannual three-day event is taking place in the country since the outbreak of COVID-19. Forty nations and over 700 defense companies from around the world are attending.
Canberra decided not to invite naval representatives of either China or Russia to the conference due to “deteriorating relations,” ABC News reported.
Chinese naval officials attended the Sea Power conference in 2019.
However, ties between Beijing and Canberra have nosedived since 2020 after Australia joined Western allies in seeking a probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Also, Canberra openly supports Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine war and has imposed sanctions on Moscow.
The Australian Royal Navy said in a statement that the conference would involve discussions with friends and like-minded partners, the defense industry, and academia on issues that are related to maritime security and are of strategic importance.
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