Australian leader silent on reaction to feared Chinese base

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to say how his government might respond if China attempts to establish a military base on the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. Morrison was questioned by a journalist during an election campaign debate Sunday about a recent security pact between China and the Solomons. He has said before that a Chinese naval base in the impoverished South Pacific nation would be a “red line” for both Australia and the United States. His language was reminiscent President Barack Obama’s declaration in 2012 that the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces would be crossing a “red line” requiring American military intervention. He declined to say whether Australia would attempt to blockade any attempt to build a Chinese base.