Australia to warn China it won’t be bulled by ‘provocative‘ actions as it builds military and nuclear arsenal

Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong is set to deliver a forceful warning to China, saying Australia and its regional neighbours will not be intimidated by what she will describe as “provocative” behaviour.

According to a monitored public feed based on reporting from The Guardian World, Wong will use an address in the Philippines on Thursday to criticise Beijing after what the report describes as another “destabilising and dangerous” incident this week. The speech is expected to come during the 59th Asean foreign ministers’ meeting.

The feed summary says Wong will single out China’s recent launch of a nuclear-capable submarine-launched missile. In the remarks, she is expected to tell China that Australia will not be “bullied” as it responds to a regional security environment that has become increasingly tense.

The reported comments come as concerns grow in the Indo-Pacific over military build-up and strategic signalling by major powers. The feed also notes that Wong plans to caution world leaders against placing a toll on the Strait of Hormuz, after both Iran and the United States threatened to do so amid their protracted conflict.

The article summary does not provide the full text of Wong’s planned speech, nor does it include a detailed Australian government response beyond the minister’s expected remarks. But it indicates that the message will be aimed not only at China, but at regional partners gathered in the Philippines, where security and maritime stability are likely to be key topics.

Based on the limited feed details, the speech appears intended to reinforce Australia’s position that coercive actions in the region should not go unanswered diplomatically. It also suggests Canberra wants to use the Asean meeting to signal support for a rules-based approach to regional security while highlighting the risks posed by weapons launches and maritime chokepoints.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and attributed reporting from The Guardian World. Source: The Guardian World - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/22/australia-to-warn-china-it-wont-be-bulled-by-provocative-actions-as-it-builds-military-and-nuclear-arsenal