Defence Minister Peter Dutton has refused to say if Australia would step in to protect Taiwan, in a major softening of his language on China.
Mr Dutton last year said it would be “inconceivable” for Australia not to join the US should Washington take action to defend Taiwan.
But asked on Sunday to repeat his comments in the wake of concerns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could embolden China, Mr Dutton toned down his previous remarks.
“If it is in our national interests to protect our homeland and our allies, then we would take that decision at that time as to what was in our country's best interests,” he told ABC’s Insiders.
He conceded Australia was actively looking at ways to “defend our homeland”, pointing to the signing of the AUKUS agreement, alliances with NATO countries and the Five Eyes.
“For the first time, as we've said, since the second World War, we are looking at ways in which we can defend our homeland,” Mr Dutton said.
“That was inconceivable talk even five years ago, but what we are seeing in the world at the moment is a reality.
“There is no sense in pretending that it is not happening, that the acquisition of nuclear weapons by China is not happening, it is happening, and they are amassing huge, huge forces.”
However, with the nuclear propelled submarines not due to be delivered to Australia until 2040 concerns have been raised over the nation’s defence capability gap.
But Mr Dutton claimed Australia would acquire capability “much sooner than that”, leaving the door open to an announcement prior to the federal election.
“We will have an announcement within the next couple of months about which boat we are going with (and) what we can do in the interim,” he said.
“Both the US and the UK understand the timelines, they understand what is happening in the Indo-Pacific, and they are very, very willing partners.”
He added it would be “complete folly” to add a third type of submarine to fill any gap between the Collins class and nuclear submarines.
Overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Prime Minister Scott Morrison he deeply appreciated Australia’s military assistance.
Mr Dutton confirmed Australia’s “lethal aid” had arrived in Ukraine and left the door open to the possibility the government could continue to fund arms for the embattled nation.
“We will continue to provide support when we think it is in the Ukraine’s best interests and our national interest to be involved in that,” he said.
Earlier, Coalition colleague James Paterson said the world was facing an escalating danger of a nuclear conflict.
“The world is watching very carefully and very closely and very anxiously about what will happen next and there is genuine concern that he might miscalculate again by escalating further which would have terrible consequences for the world,” Senator Paterson said.
“You would have to go back to the nuclear missile crisis [in 1962] to have an equivalent danger of nuclear xjmtzywconflict that we have now.”
