Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

As I have indicated—and as the senator has observed—on a number of occasions, both to him and elsewhere, the government will make its own decisions in relation to these activities, but we consistently and strongly say that we support the rights of all states, including our own, to exercise freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight under international law. We have also indicated that we do have concerns about aspects of various claimants' activities in the South China Sea. We have indicated that in relation to a number of those parties. In fact, Foreign Minister Bishop, in both of her visits last week, in both Japan and China, took up a number of these issues and reinforced Australia's position in that regard.