Sputnik International
By Dhairya Maheshwari
August 24, 2022
Concerns have been expressed in Australia that Chinese ownership of the Conflict Islands would present Beijing with an opportunity to project power at Canberra’s doorstep. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has urged the government to buy the privately-owned islands, which fall under the jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has admitted that it would be worrying if Beijing were to purchase a group of privately-owned islands located off the country’s northwestern coast near Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the Solomon Sea.