Australia’s ‘restraint’ being exploited China and other adversaries, according to spy chief Andrew Shearer

Australia’s top national security adviser has warned that the country’s passive approach in dealing with geopolitical tension is being exploited by the likes of China and Iran. Office of National Intelligence director-general Andrew Shearer said the global military balance is “shifting against the West” with Australia’s deterrence to threats “eroding”. “Our adversaries are exploiting our preference for restraint and de-escalation and leveraging coercion, cyberattacks, sabotage and disinformation to test us without triggering outright conflict,” he told the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee conference in Perth on Monday. “Often, they act through proxies, whether organised crime syndicates, front companies, armed groups or maritime militias. “These tactics exploit the openness of our economies, societies and polities, and are very hard for liberal democracies to counter. “They have become the day-to-day reality for governments, but also increasingly, for businesses.” His comments came as prime ministers Anthony Albanese and James Marape signed the new Pukpuk defence treaty, elevating the bilateral relationship and agreeing they would “act to meet the common danger” if the other was faced with an armed attack. Mr Shearer pointed to attacks on Jewish sites in Australia this year, which was revealed by the nation’s spy agencies to have been coordinated by the Iranian government, as a prime example of the exploitation by adversaries. He also referenced Chinese cyber-hacks as a growing threat and said Beijing was “challenging freedom of navigation” and increasing “the risk of confrontation” by its show of force in the South China Sea. “Crises are more frequent, and both malign states and non-state actors are more willing to test boundaries to understand the challenges we face,” he said. “Economic openness remains essential to our productivity, efficiency, long-term living standards and our way of life. “That same openness now gives adversaries the means to turn access into leverage and interdependence into malign influence.” Mr Shearer is set to finish up in his role as director-general in December. The Office of National Intelligence is the agency responsible for advising the Prime Minister about national security matters.