Coat of arms

SENATOR THE HON DAVID FAWCETT
Deputy Chair, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Senator for South Australia

Media Release
22 November 2023

Statement on HMAS Toowoomba and RAN Divers

I condemn the dangerous and irresponsible actions of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) on Tuesday 14 November, which resulted in Royal Australian Navy divers from HMAS Toowoomba sustaining injuries.

The true nature of international actors like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should be judged on their actions, not just their words.

In this case, the deliberate and provocative behaviour of the PLA-N speaks volumes about the CCP’s willingness to take aggressive, unprofessional actions and its propensity to violate the rules-based norms of international engagement.

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