China criticizes Australia-US defense alliance

China has accused Australia of Cold War-era tactics over its plan to enhance defense ties with the US, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Chinese officials expressed concern over Australia’s plan to allow the deployment of 2,500 US Marines in the northern city of Darwin during a visit by Bob Carr, who took over in March from Kevin Rudd as Australia’s foreign affairs minister. “The time for Cold War alliances have long since past,” Carr said in response to his Chinese counterparts’ criticism, adding that the historic Australia-US relationship explains its foreign policy actions. “Australia’s view of course is that an American presence in the Asia-Pacific has helped underpin stability there and created a climate in which the peaceful economic development … including that of China, has been able to occur,” said Carr.