The US is looking to set up a combat-ready standing force on Australia's doorstep, in an effort to push back against an increasingly belligerent China across the Indo-Pacific. Ely Ratner, the man nominated by US President Joe Biden's to be the next assistant secretary of defence said establishing a permanent 'combat-credible forward posture' is essential to the US military's ability to deter aggression from authoritarian powers like China.
It is hoped that the standing force, which Australia would likely be asked to join, would protect Taiwan from being seized by force.
He told the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington last week that nations like Australia, who are at the forefront of Beijing's growing aggression, would need to play a pivotal role in the proposed 'standing force'...MORE
